The End
by wshinwells7
Summary: This is a Harry/Hermione story I wrote after I read the 6th book. It was originally published on Portkey. Remus has been left with a task by the three that have left for the final task. Ron, Harry, and Hermione have taken all the precautions incase they don't survive...letters to the ones they love. Find out if they are read and the ones that are what they say.
1. Chapter 1

Remus Lupin entered the order's headquarters, or that is what it use to be. It was now the home of three teenagers who were planning to take down the most evil wizard of this century. Ron Weasley was the sixth son of Molly and Arthur Weasley. To say they were even a tad bit happy about his choice in not going back to school was a lie. Hermione Granger had told her parents everything in the span of ten minutes, and when he meant everything he meant everything. She explained the war, school, and her choice, and then she apparated here to meet her two best friends; her parents didn't get a choice edgewise. Harry Potter didn't really have a choice in telling his parents because they were ripped away from him when he was just barely one by the same evil he was chasing right now.

Remus pondered the three teenagers as he opened the door to Grimmauld place. He expected to hear the usually arguing of Ron and Hermione or the clashing of spells as Hermione prepared her boys for battle or even the pages of books turning as three voices mumbled about their next plan of action, but instead he was greeted with silence. Silence was never a good sign in this house for it meant that the three teenagers had gone out in search of another thing to help fight Voldemort, that evil wizard they were thinking about killing.

Quickly and most possibly as noisy as this house had heard in a day or so he made his way to the kitchen in the basement. For a second he thought about shouting their names, but knew it would be fruitless as soon as he scanned the kitchen table. On it was two owls, a phoenix, one half kneezle cat, and a house elf. They were huddled close together in what could have been a conference, but Remus just shook that thought out of his head. As soon as the creatures spotted him several things happened at once, Fawkes, the phoenix, erupted in flames and disappeared, Dobby, the house elf, started rushing around the kitchen making tea, and the two owls gave hoots of indignant.

"Dobby!" Remus shouted at the house elf causing him to drop the kettle he had been holding. "It wasn't just another mission, was it?"

When the elf didn't speak he gave it a hard shake. This seemed to jar him for a second; just long enough for him to shake his head. Remus knew if the elf wouldn't speak it was because he had been sworn to silence by Harry, Ron, or Hermione.

Remus sunk into one of the stools that sat beside the kitchen table. He literally felt all the energy being drained from him. No one truly knew what the three teenagers had been doing, but they all knew it had something to do with the war against Voldemort. It was amazing how secretive they had become, and amazingly that trait had been passed on to their pets. Hedwig, Harry's owl, had snapped at him when he reached out to pet her. Even though she snapped at him she bent over to pick something up that lay at her feet.

One envelope stuffed full, from the looks of it. Remus held out his hand and watched as it fell from Hedwig's beak into his hand. It felt as heavy as it looked, he thought with a sour grin, no doubt magically enhanced by Hermione.

He poured out the contents of the envelope and stared at how much was crammed into it. Doing a quick scan he saw twelve envelopes, each address to different people from Ron, Harry, and Hermione, and one lone letter addressed to him. The only way he noticed it was by the fact it was the only thing that didn't come in an envelope.

Carefully, he studied it and he laughed as he noticed the seal it bared. The wax seal was so carefully placed in the center and it bore a book, the knight from chess set, and a snitch. The three teenagers had made their own coat of arms. Each piece was at the corner of the triangle that encompassed them. Remus didn't want to break the seal as it was so perfect, and he carefully lifted it up from the paper and set it aside.

Dear Remus,

As soon as he saw Hermione's neat handwriting he felt tears prick at his eyes.

It is three o'clock in the morning, and I'm slightly drunk. As you read this piece of crap you will come to the realization that we have left Grimmauld place. Shocking, I know, but it has come down to the last bit of sand in the hour glass. Do you even know what an hour glass is? Anyway, Ron was the one who told me to address this to you. You see I have gotten permission from my two passed out boys to write this letter to you. In it you will find an explanation for everything we have done this year so far. So you might want to sit down while you are reading this, and there is a bottle of firewhiskey in the fridge if you need it.

It started last year when Dumbledore started giving Harry those lessons. He explained to Harry Voldemort's past. In all actuality I kind of feel for the murdering bastard, he had a tough life, I guess not knowing your parents made it even worse. Voldemort, aka Tom Riddle, didn't want to be like his weak father and mother.

Anyway, as I was saying, Dumbledore gave these lessons to Harry and Slughorn gave a memory. And what a memory it was? Slughorn had tampered with it. He made it so that it was what he wanted it to reflect and not what it really was. In this memory he told Voldemort about Horcruxes. Now if you don't know what they are then I'm going to give you a little bit of background. Horcruxes are objects you use to conceal part of your soul. To do this you have to split your soul apart, and the only way to do that is to commit murder. Voldemort did this seven times, and we have collected all six souls, one still resides in his body. So, now all we have to do is kill him and he can finally die.

Or in other words we can finally kill him. Now, that you know about Voldemort's souls you need to know why we are doing this. We, Harry, Ron, and I, are doing this so Harry can live. There was a prophecy, which you no doubt have heard about, and it said that neither Harry nor Voldemort could survive while the other does.

Sometimes it hurts so much to think about Harry dying, Remus, that I feel like I can't breath. He has been such a big part of my life for so long, for too long. He is my best friend for crying out loud. It all started seven years ago. Can you believe it has been that long? I entered a compartment looking for a toad, and found two boys sitting there so encompassed in the magic of it all that I couldn't resist just being in awe of them. I ended up fixing one boy's glasses and totally slamming the other. To this day Harry still lets me fix his glasses, and Ron and I still nag each other like no tomorrow, but what if there isn't a tomorrow? I can't start thinking about what ifs, not now. Because then I will start thinking what if Harry never let Peter Pettigrew go? And then all the ifs will start pouring down on me and I have to be strong, I have to.

This year has been a complete disaster to what I thought it would have been like. I was to be head girl, well actually I did make Head Girl I just turned it down when I decided not to go back to school, and Harry and Ron were suppose to be there by my side laughing and kidding the whole way through the year. Instead we started this year off by going to Godrics Hollow. We saw Harry's house. I didn't tell him this, but on our second day there I followed him to his parent's graves. I don't know what I expected, a monument of some type, but they were utterly simplistic. Harry told his parents all about Ron and I, Hogwarts, and Sirius. He still, slightly, blames himself for everything that happens. Finally when he broke down was when I left knowing that everything might not be okay but he was ready to face whatever he was given.

Tonight has been a strange night. I spent half of it getting drunk with Harry and Ron after we had finally destroyed the last Horcrux; it was the easiest to find but hardest to kill. It was Nagini, Voldemort's snake, the one who attacked Mr. Weasley. First we had to get her away from her master. They used me as bait. I was completely terrified, but I knew Harry wouldn't let me die. I was the one who started the drinking binge as afterwards my nerves were completely frayed. All I could remember thinking during the whole trip was, "what if I don't graduate?" Can you believe that? If I'm thinking that when I'm bait for a huge snake then what am I going to be thinking when I get to help face the bastard called Voldemort. Did I mention I'm still drunk? I'm pretty good at clear thinking when I am too. Kind of wicked, huh?

Around the third or fourth shot we all got pretty giggly, but Harry suddenly turned serious. He said in two days time we would be leaving to go to Hogwarts. Harry said he had already informed McGonagall to send everyone home, including the staff. He doesn't want anyone caught in the crossfire. We all knew it would end there but it suddenly seemed to have a sobering effect on us. We decided to write four letters each. Those letters you poured out of the big envelope go to four different people from each of us. We don't know what the other has written and nor will we know until we return, if we do. Anyway I have charmed then to open only when you have gathered everyone at the Burrow on Saturday. We figured by then if we aren't there then we are dead. Nice thought I know, but what the heck I can barely think straight right now.

Remus, I am beginning to dread more nights like these. I know the journey to get to this point has been tough but it isn't going to be easy getting back from it either. We have scars and nightmares, and some nights we all just sit around the kitchen table waiting for the dawn. I know that if we survive it is going to hard to adjust to life again. It is going to hard to stop looking over our shoulders looking for something evil to jump out at us. One night, last week, I was wide awake and decided to make some tea to find I wasn't the only one awake. Harry was already sitting at the kitchen table. We started talking about our years at Hogwarts, about anything but this stupid war, but eventually it turned to that topic. It has dictated our lives for so long; do we even know how to live without it?

So, Remus, in closing I leave you with this knowledge, that we love you. All of us. And hopefully your worrying will have been in vain, but remember that we started this journey together so we damn well are going to finish it together.

Hermione

(And her two drunken boys)

Remus scanned the back of the third page wanting more. He looked for any other sign of writing, but found none. Quickly as he could he scrambled to the sink and dry heaved. First countless of people in the Order had been killed, and then Lily and James, Sirius, Dumbledore, and other names and faces swam into view. Now there was the huge possibility that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were going to die. Of course there had always been the possibility that Harry was going to die fighting Voldemort but now he was going to have to face losing all three. He thought Harry would have made them stay, but now he knew Harry needed his friends more then anything else in this world. He needed them to survive if only for a little while during the battle. Despair had sunk in as Remus had these thoughts.

"And of course I have to be the one to tell Molly." His voice was strained as he spoke. He knew that telling Molly would be nothing to giving the letters on Saturday. Harry trusted him with one last thing and he would not fail his last request even if it meant dealing with a hysterical Molly.

He made up his mind in an instant, snatched up the twelve letters, and started his way out of the house. But before he reached the door a voice called him back. "Harry's wolfy, stop!" Dobby obviously had something to tell him. "These were also left for you." Dobby put three objects at his feet and with a sob apparated out of the entrance way.

Three bottles lay at his feet. They were tiny and on closer inspection they were filled with a silvery substance. Remus carefully picked one up and let out a laugh as he read the inscription on the bottle, "Ron's memories." They really did think of just about everything, Remus thought as he quietly closed the door to Grimmauld place.

A crack was heard on a normal muggle street. One lone wizard stood looking at a normal muggle house. He remembered the first time he had been there and how frighten the teenage girl was to see him. Of course the Order had picked a bad time to show up as she was the only one in the house and she had just gotten out of the shower. Thankfully she didn't fire any hexes off at them because she being the smartest witch of her age probably knew quite a few. Now, he stared at the Granger's house wishing that he was bringing the occupants anything but bad news.

He was led into the living room, by Mr. Granger. Remus studied the muggle photos for a couple of minutes, and then there she came into the living room, the spitting image of Hermione.

He felt tears weld in his eyes once again, "Tonks please morph out of that form."

Nymphadora Tonks was the witch assigned to watch over the Grangers, and she did this beautifully as she was a metamorphmagus. She shifted out of the form of a girl with slightly bushy hair, golden eyes, around five foot seven inches and into a women with a long body (much like the form she was just in), a heart shaped face, and bubblegum pink hair.

"Wotcher dear." She said by way of greeting her boyfriend. Casually she took a seat on the sofa by Mrs. Granger and it was only then that she noticed that Remus seemed to be on edge. "It's them, isn't it?' Four simple words seemed to have a collision effect in the small living room. Immediately the Grangers tensed up and Remus seemed to deflate.

"Hermione," He turned to address the Grangers. "I'm sure has filled you in on some of the goings of our world, and Tonks has probably helped a great deal more. Well, I arrived at Grimmauld place over two hours ago to check on the teenagers and found the house devoid of them. It could only mean one thing…"

"They went on yet another mission." Mrs. Granger interrupted him. She seemed desperate to hear that this was true, that this was the only thing that he had discovered.

"I'm sorry to have to inform you of this, but they went on their final mission. They left for Hogwarts, apparently, four days ago. She left you a letter which can only be read two days from now, if you don't count today, at the Burrow." He shared a look with Tonks and instantly made a decision. "It is best if you come to the Burrow now. We have no way of knowing what is going to happen, and the Burrow is a much safer place then the muggle world."

Remus let this all sink in for he could tell that they were only taking in half of what he said. It is harder to comprehend things when you are crying or mumbling.

"Do you think…I mean she isn't going to…" Mr. Granger spoke up.

"I'm positive that they wouldn't have gone if they weren't prepared. Hermione did write this letter explaining some stuff. You are more then welcome to read it." He held out the letter with a shaky hand. Quickly, it was snatched from him as the two parents scanned it.

"Firewhiskey? Horcruxes? Memories? Now, I know there is a lot Hermione didn't tell us, but this is way more than I expected."

"It is way more than I expected too, Mr. Granger. To be honest, I expected a half ass response about life and then telling us not to worry. But she was a little bit off her rocker."

"Yes, about that," Mr. Granger never finished his sentence because Tonks finally got what he meant by firewhiskey and started to laugh.

"You mean that they…and oh my god…the twins…" she let escape in-between giggles. Remus shot her a dark look and looked up at Hermione's parents, "you really should get packing. We will leave in thirty minutes."

Four bodies and two suitcases slammed to the ground right outside the Burrow. Molly Weasley rushed out her house, wand raised, to see what the noise had been made by. Two of her sons were right beside her. The Weasley twins had seen their fare share of this war, in fact their whole family had, but they still weren't going to let their mother rush into the unknown. At least not without them right beside her. Fred and George had just months before saved their mother's life as she had recklessly gone after a death eater that had hurt a muggle child in the near by town. If there was one thing Molly couldn't stand it was the hurting of a child and the twins couldn't stand the hurting of their mother.

"Oh look George isn't this a strange combination of people. One werewolf, a metamorphmagus, and two muggles, and they all landed on our front yard." Fred said pointing at the group who was in tangles on the ground. "This would make an excellent joke."

George though had stopped short upon seeing the sight. His brother and twin hadn't seem to recognize what this sight meant but he did. It meant that his youngest brother had gone and done something incredibly stupid and brave, once again.

"When?" George went to help Remus up and he posed the question.

"Four days ago, as far as I can tell." Remus held up Hermione's letter and handed it to the boy. "Oh and by the way you gave them firewhiskey?"

George didn't take the letter or even hear the question Remus had asked him; instead he rushed over to his mother. Thankfully, his reflexes were quick because he got to her just as she started to sink to the ground.

"Ginny, Fred, go and floo dad and make some tea for mum." He snapped at his brother and sister who had quickly joined the fray outside. Remus looked away, but unfortunately for the werewolf his hearing was above excellent and he heard Molly's sobbing and her words clearly.

What no one did hear or notice was the Weasley's clock. All the sudden the hand began to move to different directions, even though they had been stuck for over a year now on mortal peril. Some moved to home and others to work, but three, three stayed at mortal peril. Ron, Hermione, and Harry's hands were stuck there, possibly forevermore.


	2. Chapter 2

*NOTES* I should point out that this part of the story jumps a little between characters, though I think it transitions smoothly. I hope you all enjoy this next installment to this story. Thanks for reading and I enjoy any feedback. Any questions you have can be placed in your reviews and I will try to answer them as quickly as possible in the next up coming chapter.

The Grangers had only been at the Burrow for a few hours, but in those few hours they had seen so much magic that it was mind-blowing. People popping in and out, birds squawking, food that is prepared by no one, and yet everyone seemed use to this. The only thing the Weasley family wasn't use to was their father coming home looking like he had witnessed a murder.

"Did they really? Are you sure, Remus?" He had walked in the door shaking and as white as a sheet. Carefully he sat down at the table as his daughter handed him a cup of tea. He took two sips of the tea and was suddenly as calm as a clam.

"It is laced with a calming drought," the girl, Ginny, explained to them as she handed them their tea. "Don't worry it does nothing but make you a little relaxed. Which with you being here I might need to make more." She said with a sad smile. "Don't worry I was joking. After a while you get use to the chaos of our house."

Just as she turned to leave them a pop was heard. Ginny immediately tensed and whipped out her wand, but put it away when she saw it was Bill and Fleur, her oldest brother and newest sister-in-law. Seeing them standing there in the living room gave her the strength she needed to finally be allowed to break down.

Thankfully, she wasn't the only one because Molly had long past reached the point of reasoning. The two ladies of the house were ushered upstairs. It was as all of this was happening that the Grangers realized the entire situation. Their daughter had put herself, intentionally, in harms way. She had gone off to fight something that was way above her skill. It was the only reasoning they could come up with because if the Weasleys were acting this way then this final mission had to be something incredibly dangerous.

"Why aren't you going after them?" Mrs. Granger demanded to know from one of the red heads in the room. They all turned to look at her with expressions on their faces like they had never seen anything like her ever.

"Fleur and I just tried and we can't get past the Hogwarts gates." Everyone turned to look at Bill. It was like a tennis match. "It seems that not only are the normal Hogwarts protection in place but also so new ones. I think Harry, Ron, and Hermione have increased and added their own."

Everyone started at this and the Grangers seemed lost in the mist of it all. They had no clue what was going on and no clue if their daughter was safe. Waiting, they decided, was going to be worse then the actual finding out.

All too soon, it was time for dinner. Everyone gathered around the kitchen table. It seemed that the group had grown from when they arrived. Now, it included Bill, Fleur, Charlie, a giant of a man named Hagrid, and a very strict looking women named Minerva.

"Well I was determined to stay," the giant of a man named Hagrid said. "Hogwarts is my home and always has been." Minerva nodded beside him, she looked distinctively ruffled. "But then all of the sudden I'm being thrown backwards through the gates. And I hear Ron's voice apologizing for the hit. I tried several times to go in after them, but none of them worked. So, I decided to stay as close as possible." Hagrid gave a shudder as he thought about how his friends might be facing Voldemort right now, and there was nothing he could do to help.

"I got a letter from Harry about two weeks ago informing me that the school was to be completely emptied during Easter break, no exceptions. I told him it would be done. Now I regret that. I should have stayed and helped." Her Scottish accent got even worse as her throat constricted with the tears she had been holding in.

"Minerva you did the right thing," an old and slightly tired voice said from the kitchen counter. All turned to look at the picture of Albus Dumbledore, the late Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Did you have to bring that along, Minerva?" Remus spoke up from his seat at the far end of the table. "No offense Albus, but it is kind of creepy."

"None taken my dear boy." The portrait said from its place.

"Now back to what we are going to do about this situation…" Minerva was pulling out her teacher card and using it to her full ability.

"We are going to do nothing," Remus spoke once again. "All we can do is sit and wait. Now if you excuse me I need some fresh air."

"Let him be Minerva," Albus spoke up and Remus nodded his head by way of the portrait as a thank you. "Remus is right there is nothing to do if they succeed then they succeed but if they don't…well when that comes we will decide. Harry has all the tools he needs for this fight."

"Remus was right, damn creepy." Minerva said under her breath just as the Grangers got up and followed Remus outside.

Remus did not like being cooped up for long periods of time. It reminded him too much of when he transformed into his wolf self. And thinking of that he had about a week before he did change, too. With a grin he reached down into his pack which he had gone to retrieve from Tonks' place, and pulled out a bottle of butterbeer.

"Do you think that there is any hope?" Mrs. Granger's voice floated over to him from the side. He turned to see her staring at Mrs. Weasley's garden with utter fascination and yet he could hear her bottom lip quivering. "I just need to know. We don't want to have false hope." Remus had already noticed Mr. Granger standing in the shadows cast by the house, but until now he made no mention of noticing him.

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger," He was quickly interrupted by Hermione's dad. "Fine, Edward and Jane, I trusted your daughter with my life several years ago and she didn't let me down then so I don't think that she is going to let me down now. Especially when I trust her with the last bit of connection I have left with my past."

"Harry is very dear to you, isn't he?"

"He is all I have left. Edward, Jane, Hermione is a smart girl. The smartest witch of her age."

He let out the breath he had been holding. Telling parents that their child might die was not something he had signed up for, but then again losing your best friends was not something he counted on either.

"If she is so smart then why did she go?"

The Grangers had gone into the house several hours ago. Remus had stayed outside and watched the moon rise. He was slightly numb from all that had happened today. Still he felt the hand that had been placed on his shoulder.

"I can't take the worries away but I can bring you this."

A slightly perfumed scent met his nose and the voice which normal sounded like laughter was flat, still he knew who it was the moment the backdoor had opened. Tonks handed him a cup of hot chocolate.

"Don't worry I didn't lace it with anything except extra chocolate. So who are we looking for tonight?" Casually she flopped down on the ground beside him and curled up into his embrace.

"Sirius," she laughed at this and rested her head on his shoulder. "Tonks, I think that…" She cut him off with a soft kiss. "Don't Remus because if you do then you'll never stop. Let's just look for Sirius."

"Your hair it's different." He looked at the soft black curly hair that she sported. This was a new look for her and one he hoped to see more often because he liked it, a lot.

"You like," even in the dark of night he could tell she was blushing. "It is my natural form."

They stayed out until Molly could be heard rummaging in the kitchen. All night they sat under a blanket of stars looking for Sirius, long after they had found him. Neither was quite ready to face their dreams or even the new day but as dawn broke over the dark they welcomed it. Day one was over and onward to day two.

"Molly please let me help," Tonks pleaded to the matronly women. Somehow between supper last night and breakfast she had pulled herself together.

"No, Tonks. Go and sit down. I have some major cooking to do. Now where is that pot?" Molly started waving her wand about and pots and pans appeared out of the thin air. "I have to cook breakfast and then I'm going to make Ron's favorites. Harry's too. Oh and Hermione's, I wonder what she likes best? Better ask her parents. We can't have them coming home to nothing, now can we."

"Oh Molly," Tonks's hand found it way down from where it was perched in front of her mouth, and she tried to blink the tears from her eyes so the older women wouldn't see them. She pulled Molly into a bone crushing hug.

"Well we have some cooking to do, now don't we?" Jane Granger's voice came bearing down on them and both women turned to look at each other.

Almost everyone had been given breakfast when Molly noticed her daughter hadn't come down. "Fred go and get your sister," She asked the first of her boys she had seen. "She is not allowed to starve herself and she knows that."

George, he didn't have the heart to tell his mother he wasn't Fred, troop up the stairs to fetch his sister. He knocked on the door to Ginny's room and found it to be open. "Gin," he said as he pushed the door open. He found his sister asleep on her bed surrounded by pictures.

George picked up a handful of them and started flipping through them. The first one was of Ron and Ginny as little kids. He guessed around five and four. The next one was of Harry and Hermione; it was taken right after the first task in their fourth year. Then a picture from her fifth year at the Gryffindor party after the Quidditch matches against some opposing team. She was on Harry's arm so maybe the party where they had gotten together. And the last picture was of the whole Weasley family (Harry and Hermione included) at Bill's wedding.

For the first time he noticed that Ron, Harry, and Hermione stood a little bit apart from the rest of the group. It was like they took up another picture all together. Hermione stood in the middle of the boys. Her hair was done in soft curls and she wore light pink dress robes. Harry stood on her right with his arm around her waist; he was wearing midnight blue robes. And Ron, Ron was on the left wearing black robes. They were laughing at something Ron had mumbled and just looked genuinely happy.

"Fred," Ginny's voice whispered from her bed.

"What did I take a freckle inducing potion? Because I'm George."

"Sorry George." She said right before she yawned. "I see you found my pictures."

"Yes, Ginny, they are going to come back." George was not only trying to convince his little sister but also himself.

"It's just that…George if they don't I'll lose a brother, a best friend, and a sort of boyfriend." She was trying not to cry, trying so hard, and yet George could tell that something else was beneath that statement. "Why her? Why did he let Hermione go with them and not me? I could have helped." George didn't know what to say so instead he scooped his baby sister up into a hug and did the only thing he knew what to do; he told her jokes until she laughed.

That is what the Weasley twins did all day long, they told jokes. The only people they couldn't make laugh was the three women in the kitchen, cooking. And it wasn't for the lack of trying but each time they stepped foot in the kitchen they were expelled out of there either by glares or by magic.

"So Hermione's favorite meal is what?" Tonks said as she stirred something that looked like beef stew. Was it supposed to be stirred, Tonks wondered as she put the lid back on the pot quickly.

"Well it is chicken lightly bread with cheese sprinkled over it and spaghetti on the side." Mrs. Granger informed the two ladies.

"Wow that sounds yummy." Tonks was amazed at it all. Molly wasn't being honest when she said lets get cooking because Ron liked way too many things. So far they had only made a tiny dent in the list, and that dent was the beef stew.

"We have a problem," Molly said as she waved her wand at some knives and sent them to chop up some carrots. "The only person who knows what Harry's favorite meal is went with him to kill you-know-who."

"Well, he might have told Ginny or even the twins. Hermione can't be the only one who knows this stupid answer." Tonks let out a sigh as she thought about others who might know the answer.

"Oh, what about Remus?" Tonks went to go find Remus as Jane realized something.

"Are they really that close? I mean I knew they are best friends, she always talked about Harry and Ron during the summers, but still…" Molly noticed Jane's hands were shaking as they dropped the chicken into the breadcrumbs. "Molly she might not come back. My baby girl…"

Molly pulled Jane into a hug, "I know how hard and painful this is. But for you it must be even worst. You have no clue some of the horrors our world holds. Sit down for a second and let me tell you a something. Those three have seen and done so much. In their first year they not only faced a mountain troll but they also defeated a complicated set of trials to get to Voldemort to stop him from stealing the philosopher's stone. Second year they faced a basilisk and in their third they faced a hundred dementors, Sirius Black, and well...Remus in his werewolf form. So if they did that in just three years imagine what they can do now."

"Sorry to interrupt." Remus had entered the kitchen with Tonks at the end of Molly's speech. "I don't know Harry's favorite food, but I do know someone who can help. Dobby!" With a yell and a crack, Dobby the house elf appeared in the Weasley kitchen.

"Harry's wolfy, called for Dobby." Remus explained the situation and Dobby suddenly brightened. "Miss, always use to make Harry chicken noodle soup whenever he was upset. She said it always cheered him up." They all knew the house elf was talking about Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley smiled at Dobby.

Once Remus heard what Dobby had to say he left the kitchen and went back into the living room. Tonks had interrupted him as he was telling a story about the Marauders to the twins and Arthur. Quickly they bombarded him with more questions about the past. He noticed that Ginny was sitting in the corner putting together a scrapbook of some sort. Minerva and Edward where at the chess board playing a game while discussing the issue of science viruses magic. And Hagrid was whittling something while he sat awaiting the end to Remus's tale.

"Okay, where was I…" Remus sat down on the couch as the twins updated him on where he was. "Oh, right James and Sirius had just come up with the brilliant plan of pranking the Slytherin common room."

Remus glanced over at Minerva quickly to make sure she wasn't listening. He wasn't afraid of getting detention anymore, but she could still make him quiver with fear. It was then that he noticed the clock on the mantel.

Abandoning the story all together he walked over to the clock. He gazed at it for so long he could barely believe what he was seeing. There was the whole Weasley family, minus Ron, with their hands pointing at home. Ron, Harry, and Hermione's he quickly noticed were still pointing at mortal peril. Something had happened, something good, but still did mortal peril mean they were dead or alive?


	3. Chapter 3

*NOTES* Thanks to all the people who are following and the reviewers. I appreciate your wonderful words. Anyway here is the next installment of my story. The next chapter should be up in a couple of days.

Remus loved the dawn; it was his favorite part of the day. He loved waking early to watch the sun rise and take over the darkness. Yet...today was the day they are going to open the letters.

It seemed that at this time the dawn was taunting him. He was in the Weasley's garden, Tonks curled up next to him, and it was a picture perfect moment except for the fact they still had no clue about what was going on in Hogwarts. Tonks and he spent all of yesterday trying to get in the castle, but the wards still held fast and strong.

Two days ago he noticed that Mrs. Weasley's clock had changed, and his commotion had sent a ripple through the house. First he had to know what mortal peril meant: it didn't mean they are dead but it didn't mean they are doing great either. That had lent some comfort to the whole group, but not enough. Dinner had been silent and breakfast the next morning hasty. Ginny had tried to convince Remus and Tonks that she should go with them to Hogwarts. Everyone had the same view of that thought, no way.

Twilight was fading fast now it would only be another half an hour before breakfast and the reading of Ron's letters. It was decided last night that he should be first. They would open his letters at breakfast time. But for now Remus was left to his thoughts.

Sirius hadn't left everything to Harry. A couple of things he left to Remus. Such things as the ability to be the one to tell Harry right from wrong. Not full guardianship, seeing as he is a werewolf, but still enough for his sane mind. Also within the last year he had become the officially visitor to Grimmauld place. He was the only grown-up allowed to go and see them once a week. During that time he got to know those three even better.

He could picture them right now just starting to stir from their rooms. Harry and Hermione would be the first up. Hermione would start breakfast as Harry went through yesterdays post or read the paper. Then after breakfast they would play rock, paper, and scissors, to see who would get the shower first.

The day would progress in a mannerly fashion with little order as to what they did. Hermione might hold herself up with a bunch of books or make cookies or even challenge Harry or Ron to a duel. Harry and Ron generally did the same thing, they might go flying or work with Hermione on the search for their next step in the war or even play chess. But Remus knew that is what they did on the days he visited them. He knew that while he was away they did much more than they let on to. He knew now that they found and destroyed six parts of Voldemort's soul.

Beside him Tonks had finally awoken. "Did you sleep at all?"

Remus nodded. He was being truthful he had slept some the last night if only out of pure exhaustion. Trying to get into Hogwarts was no trip to the playground. It was long and hard and slightly annoying. Sighing, he saw that the sun had fully risen to shed away another night. He could hear the faint sounds of stirring inside the house, and he knew that whatever this day held it was not going to be easy for any of them.

"Come," he helped Tonks up and saw she was wearing her hair the way he loved it.

"Wait, Remus." She said softly into his ear. "Whatever today holds know that I'm not letting you go so no pulling away."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Her voice still held signs of sleepiness to it making him smile softly. "Tonks," he whispered into her ear. "Marry me?"

Dawn was breaking over Diagon Alley and the shop that the twins had built. Fred and George had bought the whole building with money Harry had given them after his fourth year. He was proud of their establishment and they knew it.

They sat on opposite sides of their kitchen isle both looking out the window. Neither had slept the night before as they were too down hearted to think about much other than their baby brother.

So too pass the time until dawn had fully spread its wings they spent most of the night remembering different times with Ron. They had made it up to his fifth year when the first light made its way out from behind the clouds. Talking it over they realized they might have misjudged Ron when it came to his intelligence. They rationalized that as the older siblings they were allowed to make fun of the younger ones.

Fred got up as the room started to lighten and made his way to the cabinets above the refrigerator. There he grabbed a bottle of firewhiskey and a bottle of muggle gin. George had gone to the sink and pulled out to dirty shot glasses. He quickly cleaned them with the scourgifying charm.

Silently they both resumed their places at the isle and went back to staring out the window. Before either could acknowledge it they were holding full shot glasses. Half gin and half firewhiskey; a special drink to get them just slightly buzzed enough to stop feeling the pain.

"To Ron," Fred said and George repeated. They clinked their glasses and downed the drinks.

"You know that drunken apparition isn't good for you," Bill said as he entered the kitchen right after they toasted Hermione.

"Well, Bill, that is why we let Fleur and you camp out here." George said by way of greeting. They weren't even close to being drunk; they were just beginning to feel the effects of their drinks.

"Come on you two. The sun is up, finally, and we have to go to breakfast at Mum's." Bill said as he grabbed the bottles away from Fred. "I'm going to be right back with Fleur and then we are leaving."

Bill exited the room and went into the scarlet colored guest room where Fleur was getting ready. He stood there taking in the last two days and raised the bottle up to the air, "To Ron." He said as he took a swig of firewhiskey.

Jane Granger woke from a fitful nights sleep. In truth she had only nodded off, with her ears strained for any sound. Such as was that she woke up for any sound. Including that of her husband tossing and turning. Now, it seemed sort of surreal that she was awake. It took her a second to realize where she was, a room at the burrow. Turning she expected to find her husband right beside her, but instead the rest of the bed was empty. Looking around she spotted him at the room's desk.

"Percy," Edward spoke from the desk chair and she was completely confused. Quickly she looked at the window, dawn was approaching. "I wonder what happened to him. We haven't met him and no one has mentioned the kid."

"Edward, what are you going on about?" She sat up and swung her feet onto the cool wooden floor. Gracefully she made her way over to the window; she could see Remus and Tonks sitting out in the garden. Vaguely, she wondered if they had slept at all these past few days.

"Percy Weasley use to occupy this room, but we haven't seen him or even heard of him. Jane, do you think that he has died and they just don't mention it because they can't? I want to remember Hermione, and yet...I don't think I can stand if it she is dead. Don't you think that we would know?" His voice was soft and thick of emotion. Jane could tell he was struggling to keep some sort of composure. Struggling to stay strong for her.

"I think," she started, "that we would know if she was dead. We would feel it."

Edward pulled her into a hug and they stayed that way as the sun rose spreading light fully into Percy's room. "Come now we still have hope, but more importantly she left us a letter. That might give us some clue as to how to help her, if need be. Remember we have to be strong."

Across the hall Ginny finally let her eyes close as the first light cast into her room. People in and around the house were waking, and she knew if anything happened she were to be called. She let sleep take her as she clutched Ron's teddy bear. Smiling, she thought about how Ron never touched this teddy bear after Fred turned it into a spider, and yet he never gave it up either.

Upstairs Arthur sat in an already brightly colored room. He had been there most of the night trying to figure it out. Trying to figure out what it would be like to feel like this for the rest of his life. It felt like something completely indescribable, like someone had just left him to die.

Idly he sat staring at Ron's Chudley Cannon poster. He watched the players zooming around on their broomsticks, and he blinked back tears as he tore his eyes away from the poster. They scanned the room to take in the fish tank with a frog in it, a scattering of books, but there wasn't much else. Ron had taken most of his stuff with him to Grimmauld place. Arthur's hands clutched at the blanket Molly had knitted for Ron while he was still in her womb. Ironically it was also orange.

Like all of his other boys he had been there for the whole birth. The only one he wasn't there for the whole time was sleeping a floor below him. Ron had been stubborn, and Molly had been in labor for twenty-one hours before Ron decided to grace the world. Fortunately, he had handled five newborns before his youngest son so he was an old pro at holding a newborn. Though it did come as a surprise when Molly asked him what his name should be. Molly, up until then, had picked out all of the names for their kids. Arthur chose Ronald Bilius Weasley.

The bright orange walls became even brighter as sunlight crept in. Arthur had been dreading the dawn. For with it the waiting finally could stop. Today was the day the letters would be read. Today was the day his strength would be tested. With the dawning of this day he prepared for something a parent should never have to face, saying goodbye to their child for good.

Arthur's wife Molly had sat up all night too. If anyone thought she could possibly sleep during these last few days then she would have hexed them to an inch of their life. The only thing keeping her going was the clock. She was sitting in front of the mantel alternately staring at the clock and taking in the pictures.

On the far left was a picture of her and Arthur at their wedding. It had been a quickie wedding during the first war. Arthur and she had gone out for most of their latter career at Hogwarts and they had fallen deeply in love. They decided to wait a while after leaving Hogwarts before taking the next step in their relationship, but with the war picking up fast they decided against it and went and got married.

Next to that picture was of a younger version of herself holding a newborn Bill and smiling like it the world was made of gold, which to her it was. Bill's was just the beginning of pictures of newborn babies. After that picture followed Charlie, Percy, the twins, Ron, and Ginny. In each of their frames there were a couple of pictures stuck around their edges depicting them growing up. Such pictures as them learning to ride their first broom or getting their Hogwarts letter.

Then came the clock, and Molly gave a shudder as she noticed that their hands hadn't moved. During Bill's wedding, when she learned of Ron's plan to go with Harry, she decided to add their names to the clock. After all they are family all. Blood had never played a factor into the Weasley state of mind.

After the clock came another smattering of pictures. But the last picture was the one that Molly's eyes drifted to the most. In it were Ron, Hermione, and Harry all laughing and chatting away. It was taken during Bill and Fleur's reception. Harry sat in the middle with Ron on his left and Hermione on his right. They each had food in front of them, Ron had the most, and as Harry said something Hermione cracked up laughing. Apparently, they had made a pack to make this day as carefree as possible. For that one day they were not allowed to dwell on the war or anything pertaining to it.

Molly often wondered what Harry had said to get Hermione to laugh so easily when the girl was so composed, but then Harry and Hermione always had something special between them. Ron had truly found two amazing friends when he entered Harry's compartment that first ride on the Hogwarts Express. She was thankful for that, and even though she sometimes regretted her family becoming involved in the second war she would never regret having thought of Harry as one of her own sons.

Dawn had fully set over her house, and she got up fighting the ache in her heart. She made her way to the kitchen and put the kettle on the stove. A strong cup of tea would do her nerves some good. As she looked out the window she saw Remus holding Tonks close and she felt herself smile. Those two deserved happiness after all they had been through, she thought.

Just as the whistle blew to tell her that the water was ready she heard a pair of footsteps on the stairs. She silently conjured up a half dozen tea cups and went about getting everything set up for breakfast. Eggs, bacon, toast, she thought as she got everything out of the magical fridge.

Soon the kitchen was full of people. Ginny had awoken and joined the fray minutes before. All they were waiting on was Fred, George, Bill, and Fleur. Charlie had just arrived via floo powder the same minute Ginny had walked into the kitchen.

"Oh those two," Molly mumbled as she banged the pan against the stove. "Never on time for anything in their life." And with that a pop was heard coming from the garden. Bill and Fleur each came in supporting a twin.

"Sorry we are late mum," Bill said giving her a peck on the cheek. "These two got into a little something."

Bill deposited George in a seat with Fleur right behind him supporting Fred. Molly looked ready to explode at the twins when George mumbled something.

"He has been saying that all morning."

"What?" Tonks asked her interest piqued as she glanced at Remus who had obviously heard what the boy was saying.

"He says he is sorry for being so mean to him." Remus said quietly as he picked at his food.

Just as all the commotion was settling down a burst of fire erupted on Remus's shoulder. No one had given much thought to the phoenix, or rather where he had gone, but now they all understood. Fawkes was carrying a scroll in his beak, the time had finally come.

Everyone,

Remus read as he unfolded the scroll, again Hermione's writing met his eyes.

We are sorry we couldn't be here, and that you have to read the letters we had so painstakingly written, but what we did had to be done. Anyway the reading has a certain flow to it and we were wondering if you could indulge us one more time. Please, read Ron's first, as we figured that his family is the one you are intruding upon right now. Of course we made that happen but still.

Mine will be read next preferably right after Ron's. If you can't then it doesn't matter what time. Harry has requested to go last. Please read all our letters out loud, and by all we mean even the ones we have written to each other. Those two letters are very important to us as we have spent so much time the past seven years together. Please if there is any requests in our letters do them as we ask unless they are clearly impossible. Oh, and Remus, you have our memories and they are to be seen before the letters have been open. They can be watched in whatever order you want, and all you have to do is tap the glass of each bottle and say "expand memories." It will show a three-d image large enough for everyone in the room.

Love,

Hermione and her two hungover boys


	4. Chapter 4

*NOTES* A lot of rereading the first six books went into this chapter. I would like everyone to note that in this chapter I have borrowed a lot of stuff from JK Rowling. Well a lot more besides her characters. Happy reading and please review. I love knowing your thoughts.

Remus slowly pulled out a bottle from his shirt pocket and set it on the table. He could tell that the twins were slightly amazed by the amount of work that must have gone into creating something like that. Now, he said the spell Hermione had thoughtfully written down. The memory was indeed three-d, and it played out for everyone to see.

There was Hermione sitting in the living room at the Granger household. She was watching TV and just chatting with her dad, when suddenly an owl flew threw the window. Everyone in the room knew what that meant, but they had no clue what her reaction as the room dissolved as if it were made of smoke. The whole thing faded until they were enveloped in darkness, and then a compartment on the Hogwarts Express snapped into place.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," Hermione appeared in Harry and Ron's compartment.

She looked little like she did now. For an eighteen year old Hermione had come into her looks, but here in this memory she sported the Hogwarts uniform, bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it then," She said briskly as if it was going to be an interesting show.

Everyone had seemed to have forgotten Neville and his lost toad as Hermione sat down. Ron looked completely taken aback, but they didn't get to see the rest of that either. The memory had once again changed to Harry, Ron, and Hermione standing beside a huge mountain troll. But as quickly as that image was shown it was replaced with yet another.

Hermione and Harry were standing in a dank, dark room. Hermione was clutching a piece of parchment and behind them there was a table with seven different bottles. Vaguely, one could make out black flames shooting up and a doorway. The memory started with Hermione dashing at Harry and throwing her arms around him.

"Hermione!" He reluctantly returned the hug as if it were foreign to him.

"Harry- you're a great wizard, you know."

"I'm not as good as you." Harry looked embarrassed as she let go.

"Me! Books! And cleverness! There are more important things - friendship and bravery and - oh Harry - be careful!"

The whole thing faded until they were enveloped in darkness, and then a compartment on the Hogwarts Express snapped into place again. They saw Hermione sitting with a young Ginny. From the looks of it Ginny was making Hermione a little uncomfortable.

"You're Harry's best friend?" Hermione nodded. "I met him this summer. He is nice…oh…"

The next scene was of Hermione sitting in the school library. The twins let out a snigger at this as money was exchanged between Tonks and Remus.

"It makes so much sense. The monster is a basilisk. Oh and the pipes."

Quickly, she scribbled something on the bottom of the page she was reading and ripped it out.

The whole library faded until they were enveloped in darkness, and then the Great Hall came into place. "You solved it! You solved it!" Hermione screamed as she ran to give Harry a hug.

"Awake Harry?" The newly formed common room was dark, but they could see Harry and Hermione sitting on the couch.

"He killed my parents," obviously they had jumped to the middle of their third year.

"We've been over this before." Hermione let out a sigh," Sirius Black isn't worth it."

"What would you have done it the roles were reversed?" Harry asked his infamous temper rising.

"I can't honestly answer that question," she whispered. They sat there for several more minutes in silence. "It's late." They parted with a hug and went their separate ways.

"Professor?" Timidly, Hermione knocked on a door. No one answered, and she left looking exhausted as she put a necklace back around her neck.

"At least I have my classes if I can't have my friends. And all over a stupid broomstick."

"Oh for goodness sake!' They had emerged in the divination classroom judging from the pillows and low stools. "Not that ridiculous Grim again!"

It seemed that Professor Trelawney and Hermione were having a glaring contest.

"I'm sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class, my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane."

Hermione seemed to be taking this all in and then, "Fine!" she said. She stood up and crammed her book into her back. "Fine!" she repeated, "I give up! I'm leaving!"

"I don't believe it!" Hermione's scream cut through the silence of a dark room lit only by the glow from a wand. "You - you -"

Lupin's voice interrupted her insane babble, "Hermione -"

"- you and him!"

"Hermione, calm down-"

"I didn't tell anyone!"

The shack faded and the darkness changed into a lot of white, "What we need is more time." Dumbledore's voice was crystal clear, and all turned to look at his portrait which stood in-between Hagrid and McGonagall.

"But-Oh!" Hermione become very still and her eyes huge as Dumbledore explained something. They never heard any of the rest because the memory changed.

All of the sudden they became flashes of memories. Only long enough for them to get a glimpse of Hermione in a classroom teaching Harry something, Harry flying past a dragon, Ron and Hermione arguing, all three at Grimmauld place with Sirius during Christmas, fighting death eaters, going to a party, and then they images stopped.

"Why didn't you go home? Ron did." Harry and Hermione stood gazing at the tree they had decorated at Grimmauld place. "You could have had Christmas with your family before resuming this insane fight." Harry seemed to be pleading with Hermione for her to leave.

"Harry, only heaven knows what kind of trouble would find you if I left you alone," Hermione reached out and grabbed his hand. "Plus I am with my family."

He smiled down at her as she said this. Cautiously, he took the hand he was holding and wrapped it around her waist as she put her head on his shoulder.

"I love you Hermione," Harry whispered as they stood watching the lights twinkle on the tree.

"I love you too, Harry."

The image faded out with a pop and everyone looked at the bottle expectantly. Some of their eyes flitted from the bottle to Ginny, but the red head was starring at her plate. Remus pulled out the next bottle. It was Ron's and he said the spell as to get it over quickly.

Ron's memories started out with flashes of images. They saw images of his parents, and then came all of his siblings from eldest to the youngest. Next they saw the scene with the troll again. Then came a flash of a huge chessboard, which had McGonagall smiling. And the finally scene from his first year was of Gryffindor defeating Slytherin in the house cup award.

"We'll go and get our stuff," Ron's voice was the first sound to come from the image of them sitting in what looked like Snape's office.

"What are you talking about, Weasley?" Barked McGonagall her trademark Scottish burr seemed thicker than normal as she made the two students before her cower.

"Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?"

Both Harry and Ron quickly looked at Dumbledore. "Not today, Mr. Weasley."

"Ron!" They could hear Harry shouting but couldn't see where he was. "Are you okay? Ron!"

"I'm here." Ron was on one side of a huge bunch of rocks and from the sound of it Harry was on the other. "I'm okay - this git's not, though - he got blasted by the wand-" Suddenly, Ron kicked Professor Lockhart in the shins.

The scene dissolved and reformed to show the three Gryffindors against three Slytherins. No sound came from the image, but they could tell it was going to ugly really quickly. Hermione though had beaten Harry and Ron to the punch, and she smacked the tall blond boy with all the strength she could muster.

Flashes of fourth and fifth year were all they saw and it was much the same as Hermione's memories. There was the first task, the ball, Harry in the hospital wing, their time at Grimmauld place, Christmas at the hospital, a couple of talks with both of them about Voldemort, some DA meetings, and fighting with the brains in the Department of Mysteries.

Ron included nothing from his sixth year. Which the twins found odd, but he did include the argument he had with his parents on the subject of him going back to school. It end with Molly in tears and Ron giving her a hug before he left. He didn't, apparently, want to leave on bad terms like Percy did.

"And I now pronounce you husband and wife." They had arrived at Bill's wedding. Ron was sitting in-between Harry and Hermione as the ceremony ended.

"Time for food," he said which cause Harry and Hermione to laugh. "Oh come on you would be hungry to if you had to do the decorations this morning, but no the guest weren't allowed to help." Ron mumbled something more about them being family and not guest, which caused Harry and Hermione to grin.

They filed out of their chairs and watched as Charlie did some impressive magic which transformed the already decorated garden into a dancing and a sitting area. Quickly, the three of them found their table and watched as Bill and Fleur did their first dance. It was slow and sweet to some muggle song Ron couldn't possible even think of getting the name right, because it was French as well as muggle.

He was one of the first in line when the food was set up. He piled his plate high, but when he turned to go back to his table he noticed that Harry and Hermione were missing. He did a full turn before his eyes settled on them on the dance floor, swaying to some slow song.

Ron became entranced as he watched how easily his friends got along. They were dancing close but not too close. Harry was gazing steadily into Hermione's eyes as she chatted on about something which obviously was funny. When the song ended they hugged and went back to the table, and it was only then that Ron snapped out of his trance and went to join them.

"Are you ready?"

Three figures came out of three different shadows and met right in front of the door to Grimmauld place. "You know you don't have to do this." Harry spoke as he took in both of his friends faces.

"You have got to be joking mate, we are going with you. No matter what." Ron said as he placed his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Our fates were sealed the moment we entered your compartment during the first train ride. I doubt either of us knew it them but something extraordinary had happened that day."

"Yeah you met the boy-who-lived," Harry grinned at Hermione who smiled back, sadly.

"No mate we met Harry, just Harry. And he is even better then the boy-who-lived." Ron said and they turned to face the door. The memory ended with them going into the house and that is also how the whole thing ended.

Remus avoided Molly's eyes as he couldn't face her tears right now. The last bottle was Harry's and he wasn't sure he was ready to face it, but he gathered up all the courage of a Marauder and pulled the bottle out. Before he could perform the spell a hand was place on his wrist, "Let me." He looked up to meet the eyes of Hagrid and nodded.

Harry's didn't show any scenes from anything for a second and then it finally blinked to life. They found themselves in the kitchen at Grimmauld place. Harry sat holding a glass full of some liquid and staring at the flames in the fireplace.

"It's late," Hermione came through the door of the kitchen clad in one of Harry's oversize t-shirts. "We haven't slept for two days for we have been destroying another Horcrux, and yet here you are still not sleeping." She pulled up a stool and looked at him.

Harry looked tried and sick, his eyes held no place for a soul behind the pain they held. He still hadn't really acknowledged Hermione's presence. Instead all he did was take a sip of his drink. She took the mug from his hands and threw it in the sink. His eyes finally looked at her and they held nothing but sadness.

"Harry…" she reached out and touched his cheek.

"Hermione, I'm scared that I'm going to lose Ron and you. One day you're both going to wake up and see I'm not worth it."

She actually laughed at him as she scooted her stool closer to his.

"If that is what you are worried about then get over it. We aren't going anywhere." Ron spoke as he entered the room and pulled up a stool beside Hermione.

"See even Ron agrees with me," Hermione said.

"What about the danger?"

"You are just beginning to think about the danger?" Ron snorted into his hands. "Harry we've been in much more danger and that was at Hogwarts. Right now all we are doing is destroying some crummy old objects and keeping our best friend company."

"When did you become so smart?" Hermione and Harry asked at the exact same time.

"Yeah well one day she had to rub off on me, if only a little bit. Too bad that didn't happen at school, first."

They lapsed into silence as the watched the flames of the fire dance. Each had his or her own thoughts tuned to simpler times. Times when the war wasn't always everything they thought and dreamt about.

"Do you remember the night we all met Sirius for the first time?" Hermione asked and Harry and Ron laughed. "We were all so young, and now look at us. I mean we are still young, but now it seems we have aged with the destruction of our world. Too quickly."

"Remember how we were all so brave in thinking we were going to die before he killed Harry?" Ron asked right before he yawned.

"He said I could live with him once he was free. I really wanted to, too. It was such a nice dream, for that half an hour." Harry sighed as he thought of how he was technically living with Sirius or at least in his house. "And Hermione next time you get a time turner tell us about it first so we can make sure you aren't killing yourself in the process to get to classes." Harry smiled up at Hermione as she blushed.

"I still can't believe Trelawney wasn't a complete fraud. For all good intentions sometimes things aren't what they seemed. I guess we definitely learned that that year." Hermione got up and went over to the stove to put the kettle on the stove.

"What were you drinking?" She asked Harry as she picked his mug out of the sink.

"Pumpkin juice," Hermione walked over and kissed him on the cheek and then gave Ron one.

"My two boys are still that, boys." They both made protesting noises as she spoke. "It's true and you know it. You both would rather be playing Quidditch then saving the world, or even making up wild predictions for Trelawney's class. I guess sometimes, especially these times, we need to remember that we are still children at heart. Now, how about a game of exploding snap?"

The memory was just that one memory. Remus silently put the bottles back in his shirt pocket and he looked around the table. His eyes went from Tonks, to Fred and George, Bill, Fleur, Ginny, Molly, Arthur, Jane, Edward, Minerva, the portrait of Albus, and finally Hagrid. All these people the three teenagers had touched and been touched by them. It was amazing to see them all with tears in their eyes as they watched the last memory of all the memories. Harry and Hermione and Ron were too precious for words sometimes, but now was not one of those moments.

"She is right they were just children. But they grew up too quickly; you could see it in their eyes." It was Ginny who spoke. "I wanted to go with them and help, but now I see I would never have been able to do what they did. They gave up so much for us and yet they found so much too."

"No," Remus's voice was hoarse when he spoke. "They didn't give anything up. They had each other and that was all they needed. I know that now."

"Oh you two step out of your pity party. We haven't even read the letters yet. Only when the last word is read, out loud, will I finally join that party. But until then we keep going. We read those letters and pray that sometime during them they decide to come out of `mortal peril'." Molly snapped at her youngest and Remus.

"I agree with Molly. Don't get me wrong Remus, I love you but I've had enough of your pity party." Tonks suddenly screwed up her face and turned her nose to one that resembled Professor Dumbledore's. She glanced at the portrait and found him smiling at her, obviously he approved. "Now lets say we finish this breakfast, let Molly get at the twins for coming here drunk, and read what Ron has to say."

Molly went back to making toast and sending glares at the twins as she made breakfast. Jane tried too many times to offer her some help, but to Molly cooking was therapeutic and she needed that right now. Finally, everyone had been fed to their fullest and Molly waved her wand. She sent all the dishes flying to the sink. There they would lie awaiting the order to be scrubbed, but right now she had something much more important to do. Quickly, she sat down in her seat next to Arthur; the distance between them seemed to be like an ocean so she moved closer. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she leaned against him for support.

Remus glanced at Molly and awaited her nodded which seemed to take forever for her to give. Silently, he pulled out the twelve envelopes and set them on the table.

"I guess there is no more point in waiting," he said as everyone stared at the envelopes and no one made a move to reach for them.


	5. Chapter 5

*NOTES* Enjoy!

It was such a simple movement, reach across the table and take the top envelope. It was too simple of a movement. Yet, he wanted so desperately for his arm to obey his command of movement. Get it over with, his mind screamed at him. The internal battle raged for a couple of minutes before he watched his hand slid across the table. It was almost like he was watching from a different body, but all too soon the envelope was in his grasp.

Arthur stared at the envelope for several long minutes before turning it over. He noticed that the parchment was thick and it made him think of the Hogwarts letters. "They made their own coat of arms." He said and then he ripped into the seal. Ron's handwriting met his eyes.

Dear Mum and Dad,

This morning has seen a change in roles. Hermione is getting the post and Harry is making breakfast. I on the other hand am the first to write the letters. It was decided that while we should not know what we write to the others we shall write in each others presence, if only to lend comfort to each other. As I write this Hermione has arrived with the Daily Prophet and she sits down to read it.

Merlin, I'm filling you in on useless stuff but I honestly don't know what to write. How do you write and tell someone that you might be dead? I'm scared. No, I'm way past scared. I'm so past it that I can barely feel anything any more. Yet, I take some comfort in knowing that I do not go in to this battle alone.

It isn't even my fight. Harry looks at me as I write and I can almost sense that he knows what I am writing. He has become a lot like Dumbledore these past few months. He speaks in riddles and yet he doesn't.

For once in my life I wish I had taken Divination more seriously. I wish I could look into a crystal ball and see what the future held. But above that I wish that I could say goodbye one last time.

When I was home for Christmas I tried to take you all in. I tried to memorize your faces and just how you smile. Mum, I love you without a doubt. I want to thank you for loving and even yelling at me.

There was some incredibly stupid stuff we did in school, but you didn't care. You cared about grades and good marks and whatever else. I also know that you cared about some of that stupid stuff we did. In first year when I was on the chessboard McGonagall had so wickedly transfigured I thought about how you were the one to teach me the noble art of chess.

You gave me the gift of strategy and still to this day I use that. I'm the one who has planned out all the possible battle situations. I was also the one who told Harry that fighting Voldemort at Hogwarts was the best action to take. The castle will lend us its protection when we need it most.

Mum I have to tell you that Harry makes a mean omelet. The boy can cook. He usually doesn't though. He says it reminds him too much of living with his aunt and uncle. I can understand that. Not how he feels but just the statement.

Dad I want to thank you for giving me enthusiasm for life. I still don't have a clue about how muggles live but I can tell you something a TV is wicked cool. Hermione showed me one as we went to get groceries one morning.

Hermione does the shopping and we are constantly doing things the muggle way. It kind of sucks having two best friends who grew up in the muggle world because they slip into the habit of doing the dishes that way. Harry and Hermione always do the dishes and each time they are done they are covered in soap and water. It doesn't make any sense to me but they always say that they had a bubble fight. I guess it is their way of winding down.

I don't know what else to say. For a year I have lived with these two and they seem to sometimes live in their own world. I guess maybe I have discovered to live in the muggle world. Or part of it. Dad, one morning I woke up to find Hermione using this thing called a vacuum cleaner. It just sucked the dirt right up and everything. Hermione said she had charmed it to work because there are no plugs here.

Well, I am going to end this letter now because if I write much more to you it will just be putting off the inevitable of saying good bye.

I love you both,

Ronald Bilius Weasley

Arthur read his son's letter out loud and at the end he was smiling.

"Did you hear that Molly a vacuum cleaner? Wow!"

Molly smiled up at her husband. Ron was right what do you say when you know you might die. It seemed to put things into perspective if she was expecting something, anything, else she knew she wasn't going to get it. She got her goodbye, but it didn't help much. It didn't ease the pain any and she knew that even if he had said it face to face it wouldn't have helped.

"So who is the next letter addressed to?" Fred piped up as he looked to the next letter. His hand snatched it from the pile and he read the scrawl of Ron's handwriting, "Siblings. Wow he does grab your attention with a title like that. So who wants to read it?" He waved the letter around for everyone to see.

It took a minute, but finally Charlie spoke up and said he would. "That's the spirit," Fred responded glad the weight was off of him.

Dear Bill and Fleur,

We don't know each other do we, big brother? I guess it could be the age difference or something like that. For as long as I can remember you have been the coolest older brother I have. The curse breaker who works in Egypt. And with five older brothers that is saying something. And now you have gone and up-ed the status of coolness by marrying Fleur.

She is wonderful and I hope the two of you are as happy as you look. Remember to smile a lot and laugh a lot. Hermione keeps telling us that even a fake smile is a smile. I have no clue what that means but it sounds good. Take care of everyone, and make sure Mum and Dad give me a nice send off. I'm thinking something with fireworks.

Charlie,

The same thing could be said for you with the whole not knowing each other very well. I use to be the annoying younger brother who would follow you around. For the longest time, when I was little, I wanted to work with dragons. That is until I met Norbert. Hagrid has had some amazing pets, but I think Norbert has topped them all.

You left Hogwarts just before I arrived. I think you would have liked to have been there during some of the adventures the three of us have been on. They seem right up your alley. Especially, the troll we fought in our first year. Harry just mentioned something about angels. I think he is losing it but still thanks for being there when we needed you. Take care.

Percy,

I know that you aren't there. You stubborn asshole. I just wanted to say that for all the pain you caused mum and dad I understand. Sometimes it is harder to admit that you were wrong, but in the end you are going to. It might be years from now. Just remember that the whole family loves you, no matter what. Oh and stop being stubborn and propose to Penny already.

Fred,

Most people put the two of you together. It's always Fred and George or even George and Fred. But there are things that I need to tell each of you. Fred when you were the one who turned my teddy bear into that spider you gave me my first fear. Now, I have several. I fear the dark. I actually dislike and fear night. Because during the night the dreams come and take over. I want to thank you for giving me that first fear.

I know it seems a little stupid and maybe even funny someone thanking someone else for making them afraid. But you gave me a petty fear. I take comfort that now I can still be afraid of spiders even with all that I have faced. And I have faced and seen a lot being Harry's friend.

George,

While Fred gave me my first fear you gave me the most laughs, and yet you also know when stuff needs to be taken seriously. I wish I could do that but I seem to have a lack of emotions. Or Hermione says so, sometimes. I swear we argue less if I just go along with what she says. This is why I have been keeping quiet this year. I just go along with what they say unless I completely disagree.

Thank you for telling me this little secret. I just can't understand how Harry and she get along so well. They disagree all the time and yet they barely argue about their disagreements. Instead they both sit down at the table and hash out their sides of their points. Sometimes I think they have one mind instead of two, which reminds me of Fred and you.

Ginny,

You really are the only one who knows what this war does to people and you learned that at such an early age. Just like us. Fortunately, for you, you had a couple more years to enjoy your childhood. Ginny don't grow up too quickly; it just isn't worth it.

We three grew up too quickly and looked at what we have become. I know that there are some hard times ahead of you. I can't tell you all, but be strong. But don't forget to try, and keep yourself grounded.

Ginny, you can be too independent sometimes. Let some people help you through the tough times. Lean on a shoulder or two and don't be afraid to cry. This Christmas when I saw you and you asked why Harry didn't come I didn't have the heart to tell you it was because he didn't want to face you. He didn't want to face you begging him not to leave or to even take you with him. Harry knew that you weren't ever going to be ready to face what we have faced or are going to. The only way Hermione and I stayed on this journey, with him, for so long is because we made it clear to him. We made it clear to him that he needed us.

And that isn't to say he doesn't need you, but not right now. I have to tell you that after this year I now know that we can never be the one big huge happy Weasley family that for a while we thought might come true. I'm sorry Ginny. That doesn't mean you and Harry won't get back together, but I know that Hermione and I will never be able to. We are just too different. I love baby sister.

My love and everything else,

Ron

"Well that was interesting," Charlie said as he finished reading what Ron had written.

Ginny walked out of the kitchen as Charlie spoke the last words of Ron's letter. No more letters could be opened until she got back. She knew that and they knew that. They all glanced around to see who, if anyone, would go after her. Jane Granger stood up and walked after the girl.

"Mum, just go away and leave me be for second." Ginny said as she wrapped her arms around herself in a hug.

"I'm not your mother, but I have something to tell you."

They faced each other for a second. She knew the girl could see Hermione in her and for a second she saw the anger her eyes held. It was so small she might have imagined it but she could have sworn she saw the youngest Weasley nod.

"I don't know Ron or even Harry that well, but I know my daughter. Or at least I think I do." She gave a shrug. "I won't really know until all the letters are examined. But you need to know this; if anything happened between any of them then it happened because it was right. Hermione spoke fondly of you; she called you her best girl friend. The title of official best friend always went to Harry. Just remember that whatever happens can you really stay mad at them if you don't know the full truth or even if they aren't going to come back?"

"I'm not mad, I'm upset." Ginny said, "I think I always knew Harry was not going to be mine. He was someone I adored since I was five years old when mum told me the story of him. I never dreamed that I would actually meet the famous boy-who-lived and that he would fall for me." A small light up her face, "maybe he isn't even destined to be with either of us. But I guess we might never know."

Jane Granger saw the tears in the girl's eyes. It was so hard to lose your first love especially to someone you trusted. Jane knew her daughter was extremely fond of Harry but she didn't know if it was love. Her daughter had grown up far away from her and the time they did spend together she felt the distance between them. If anything bad or exciting happened it as always, "I have to tell Harry and Ron." Quickly, Jane pulled Ginny into a hug and let the girl sob into her shirt.

They didn't return to the kitchen for some time, but when they did it was with renewed strength. Ginny was ready to face the rest of the letters and she was ready to let Harry go, if need be, but she wasn't ready to give up the hope that they were alive.

"So, who is going to read Ron's letters to Harry and Hermione?" Ginny said as she sat back down. Molly handed her a cup of strong tea, and she grabbed her mother's hand.

"We will," Fred and George said at the same time. They picked up the letters and stared at them. It was complete silence for a minute and then a pop was heard by everyone in the room. Both Fred and George were turned into canaries. It seemed that Ron had reenacted some revenge on the twins for making him their official tester for so long.


	6. Chapter 6

After the twins had molted and successfully glared at everyone they looked at the letters they held in their hands. Quickly, George noticed he had the one address to Hermione so that could only mean Fred had one to Harry. They looked at each other for a long moment and then switched letters.

"Okay in my hands," Fred looked at the envelope to make sure it was still there as he flourished it about. "I am holding one letter written to Hermione from our dear Ron." He turned the letter over and looked at the back of the envelope, "huh? Cool seal." And then he ripped into the packaging surrounding the letter.

_Dear Professor,_

_Somewhere along this crazy journey Harry and I began calling you that, Hermione. You just kept pouring text after text on us while we were looking for Hufflepuff's goblet. If I thought we had to do a lot of research it is probably one-fourth of what you did. Thanks to you I could probably go and take my NEWTs and pass without having taken any classes this year. But I guess that I won't be able to._

_It is killing me to write these letters. I know with each word that I won't be able to cream you in chess again. I won't be able to yell and bicker with you, but most of all we just won't be us anymore. And I don't mean us in the romantic sense (we all know how badly that turned out), but I mean us as in the trio._

_This year has been hell. I wanted to be able to play Quidditch not chase after Voldemort's wacky souls. I wanted to be able to do so much, but you, Hermione, could have had it all. McGonagall made you Head Girl and you turned it down in order to help a friend. You had one of your dreams right there in your hands and you gave it up for Harry. That is something I have aspired to be Hermione, I want to be selfless like that. Hey, and maybe I am or was._

_I know that each of us thought that this was it. This battle with Voldemort was going to kill one of us; if not all. But I think I knew that it wasn't going to be you. You had to survive and keep living. Even if you couldn't do it with your two crazy best friends. You know the ones who are always getting into trouble so you could bail them out?_

_Remember around Halloween when Harry and I went to that muggle pub, guys night out we called it, and got into that brawl. Harry was the one who called you on that fellyphone of yours. The one you got in case we ever got caught in a muggle emergency. You actually came to the jail and bailed us out. I'm sorry about that Hermione. It was my fault and yet I stood by and let you yell at Harry. He told me that he should take the fall because you would go easier on him. Well, if you went easier on him then I don't want to know what you are going to do to me, especially if I am alive. But I thought you should know that._

_I can see you right now asking what else you don't know, but there isn't anything else. Mostly because you never let us do a boys night out again without you along and even then we usually had to pull you out of the bar. Yes, Hermione, I am thinking about that fight you got into with that muggle girl. Wow, I haven't seen you punch like that since the time you hit Malfoy._

_Anyway enough about bars and fighting. I am sure you've had enough of fighting right now. So off to the past we go. I really did think you were quite the annoying first year and second and third and fourth. I guess I never really appreciated how much effort you put into everything until fifth year. When you helped start the DA or how you aced all your OWLs even with everything else going on. Plus you, besides Harry and Neville, took out a lot of Death Eaters. We wouldn't have gotten very far without you and I guess you knew that. Why else were so adamant about coming with us, and don't give me that sexist crap._

_I guess I should thank you for helping me all those years. You made sure I had all my homework done and correct; except for when I pissed you off and then you didn't touch it. I should also thank you for all the times you stopped me from doing something stupid. Or you at least tried to stop me. Remember the time I tried to curse Malfoy and ended up cursing myself. I still cringe at the sight of slugs._

_Right now you and Harry are sitting beside me as I write. Occasionally you glance at my paper I know you are dying to know what I've written. And now I guess you do but it came at a cost._

_Harry asked me this morning if I would look after you when this all ended, I told him I would. Hermione I know you don't need coddling anymore then I do but we are all going to need help through this. We have to adjust back to normal lives. And that means no holding yourself up in a room looking for something to help us even if we are lying in a coma in St. Mungos. It just isn't worth it because we did what needed to be done._

_I could keep going on with the whole remember this and remember that, but I know that it would just piss you off. Take care of Harry for me. Make sure he sleeps and eats and laughs and cries. But most of all make sure that he plays a game of Quidditch for me. I'll be checking in on you two from time to time._

_With all my heart,_

_Ron_

Fred put down the letter and looked at his twin. If that letter held so much in so little what would Harry's hold. He avoided his mother's eyes and tried to smile.

"Well it sounds like our little Ron knew more than he let on to," Fred said after forcing out a laugh. "Kind of morbid isn't it?" He looked to George and they both glanced at Harry's letter.

"No time like the present," George said.

Hastily he looked at the thick envelope and then turned it around. Breaking into the seal was easy, but actually opening the letter was a challenge as he stared at it for a couple of minutes before taking out the letter. It was written in deep blue ink and the handwriting was Ron's untidy scrawl.

As George hesitated to speak the first words of Ron's letter to Harry the clock on the mantel did something odd. Ron's hand went from mortal peril to traveling and then back to mortal peril. But no one noticed this as they were all glued to the words George started to speak.

_Harry,_

_Okay Mr. Chosen One, boy-who-lived, and my best friend it is time you started living life for yourself. And don't give me that I had to fulfill the prophecy crap because we both know you didn't have to do shit if you didn't want to. But you did fulfill the prophecy, either that or George is reading this letter. I doubt they know that Hermione put a charm on these letters so only certain people could read them out loud. She is one heck of a witch isn't she?_

_And you are a great wizard and the best friend anyone could wish for. Ugh, now I'm starting to sound like her. We really have been hanging out way too much this year and with such close quarters getting into major arguments isn't as easy._

_Now enough about that, I'm sure you have had enough of our bickering. Isn't it weird to think that we met seven years ago on the Hogwarts train? But then again that is how most friends meet at Hogwarts, on the train._

_You actually seemed surprised that anyone would want to sit with you and I get that now, but back then it surprised me. I mean you were the boy-who-lived. I got to know you as someone unselfish. Okay, I forgot that sometimes. After all it was you who went back and tried to save Hermione first._

_During our first year we faced more than any grown wizard. Remember Norbert or the troll or Snape's potions classes. And the challenges seemed to get harder as the years went on. Not only did we face deadly foes, but also homework and girls and everything else._

_Now, we would have been in our seventh year. You would have been Head Boy, and heaven only knows what trouble we would have gotten into. I can just see Filch coming up with unique detentions for us._

_But instead we have been coped up in Grimmauld place looking for lost treasure. Not that I blame you mate. I mean you had to do it and I respect that. Hey, I even went with you. Not that I am one to be left behind. I've been there from the beginning and I was damn well going to help you finish the bastard off._

_Harry I have to tell you that during our friendship I have been scared. I was scared during first year when we faced Fluffy for the first time. Okay, anyone would have been frightened to meet a three headed dog. I was scared during second year when Ginny was taken into the Chamber. During third year I was scared that Sirius was going to kill us all until we found out the truth and then I was scared that Scabbers was going to kill us all until he escaped and then I was scared that Professor Lupin was going to eat all of us. I think that that year I was scared a lot. Fourth year came and went much like third. All those tasks you had to do and that ball. God I don't think I've ever been so terrified then when I asked Fleur out and now she is my sister-in-law. Funny how the world works, isn't it? Then fifth year there was Death Eaters escaping and the Ministry being assholes._

_I really wanted you to be right about Sirius being down in the Ministry, Harry. But I wanted you to be wrong about my dad. I think I wanted you to be right about Sirius after we got there and found out he wasn't there. Does that make sense?_

_Sixth year was interesting. I mean I turned into a complete prat. First the whole Lavender thing, and then the whole not believing in you about Malfoy. I mean you have always been right about this sort of thing, but I think I was still reeling from the Department of Ministries. I know that doesn't make it right but it explains part of my reasoning._

_This year has been hard on all of us...when I came home for Christmas it was when I realized that there was a gap between my family and me. It was a big gap too. One caused by the war and what we have done. I wanted to tell my mum and dad everything. I wanted to tell them that I've kill three Death Eaters while searching for Hufflepuff's cup. I wanted them to cast me out because I didn't feel worthy of their love and I didn't like what I had become. But I knew that if I didn't kill those three humans Hermione wouldn't be here sitting beside me._

_After we found the cup you didn't destroy it until I got better. You and Hermione sat at my bedside for four days trying to get me to eat and be Ron again. I remember that it was Hermione smacking me that got me to actually look you two in the eyes again. Harry, I was ashamed of what I had become, but even worse I knew I had done the right thing. I knew that taking those lives had been right._

George stopped reading and everyone looked at him. He got up from the table and walked into the living room. Silently, he sat down on the couch; he just couldn't finish the letter. He needed to remember Ron as his brother and not as this person he had become. Ron was right there was a gap between himself and the family.

"George," a voice came from beside him and he turned, his eyes filled with tears, to see him mother sitting beside him.

"Mum I failed," he choked out as he gripped his mother's shirt as he hugged her. "You told me to look after him and I didn't. I thought that Harry was someone safe and someone great for Ron to hang out with."

"Oh George, Harry was someone great for Ron to hang out. He and Hermione taught Ron so much."

Molly felt the helplessness of her son's words sink in. She had given the twins a talking to before they left for their third year at Hogwarts. She told them to look after Ron, make sure he found good friends, is what she said, and she was so excited to hear from them that Ron had made friends with Harry Potter. It had to be a good sign, she thought so many years ago, but now they saw that even good things have a price. But what she would never do was blame Harry for any of the things that happened.

Molly led her son back into the kitchen, but not before glancing at the clock on the mantel. She sighed to see all three names still at mortal peril. George sank back down into his seat beside his brother and picked up the letter.

_Now we sit in the kitchen at Grimmauld place and neither of us mentioned what we have done this year. We promised ourselves at the beginning of this to not talk about the things we have done until it is over and then we are going to hire a really good shrink. Though I still don't understand why we want to become little all of the sudden._

_So this is to you mate. Thanks for being my best friend and for everything else you have done for my family. When you are all well and better go back to our Hogwarts dorm and put our names someplace so everyone will know that dorm was the dorm of two great wizards._

_Ron_

George sat the letter down on the table. He met Remus's eyes and nodded to the werewolf. This war really had changed everyone, and now they knew that Ron was not invincible to the changes.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: If you originally read this story on Portkey I would like to note that I have made some changes. Nothing major. Mostly just editing. This is one of my favorite chapters. I love Remus and Tonks and was heart broken when they died.

It was decided that they would all take a break from the readings until after lunch and seeing as how it was just going on ten they all thought this was a wise decision. Remus stumbled out the kitchen doors and into the fresh air, he gulped at it greedily. Finally, he turned to look at the house that was behind him, all three teenagers had so many happy memories here that it didn't take a fool to realize why they had chose this as the gathering point. But Remus felt like there was something out of place, something was missing.

"You felt it to?"

He had watched Professor McGonagall exit the house and now she stood in front of him. Somewhere along the way, this year, she had gotten some of Dumbledore's habits. He wondered if it came with the power of taking over the school.

"Felt what?"

His voice sounded strange to him. He had not heard that sound in years, seventeen to be exact, and yet he couldn't seem to place the sound.

"Something is missing, isn't it Remus?"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall something is missing."

And with that Remus turned and apparated out of there. He knew what was missing. Quietly, he treaded on soft ground as he looked to the looming castle in the distance. Remus Lupin had just apparated into Hogsmead. But instead of turning to head to the castle he went astray and looked at the town. It was completely deserted and it had been for a year.

Casually he walked through the town. He saw old buildings that had become trademarks for the town, like Rosemerta's pub and Zonko's, dark and empty. The effect was chilling. Finally he came upon the one he like and hated the most. He found himself standing in front of the shrieking shack. Remus gave an involuntary shudder as he stepped over the low fence.

What most people who knew about the three teenagers did not know was that they could be found sometimes at Hogwarts and they got in by the tunnel under the shack. They had also spent many a night in the shack whenever they had gotten tips that Hogwarts might be attacked. And everyone knew that those three were never going to let that happen without putting up one hell of a fight.

Remus stepped over the fence and into the garden that seemed to grow without rule. He smiled as he thought of how only four, alive, people knew how to get in from the outside, but not many people would ever go into the most haunted building in England.

Thankfully for his sane mind Remus did not need to go inside. He saw what he needed the moment he stepped on the first stair. Remus grabbed the gold chain and with one last quick look at his past he apparated out of there.

"That didn't take long," Remus found himself facing Professor McGonagall once more. He grinned at her as Molly came out of the house looking for who made that sound. Remus quickly assured her that it had been him and that everything was alright. "You know the last time I saw that was on the hand of the most deserving women," Her Scottish accent became thick as Remus looked down to see what the gold chain held.

He saw that it held a ring, an exquisite ring, one he had not seen in a long time. Carefully he held it up to his eyes and peered at the engraving J.P loves L.E. So simple and yet it was so sweet. Remus didn't know when or how Harry got this ring, but he knew that it meant something important.

"Professor, why did he leave this at the Shrieking Shack?" Remus forced his voice to work, to produce any sound and it actually did, to his amazement.

"Even after all these year, Remus, you still call me Professor. How am I ever going to drill it into your head, it is Minerva." She smiled slightly at his face which held little shock just a grin, "as to your question, well I guess we just have to wait and see." And with that she walked back into the house as Tonks walked out.

"Professor McGonagall," Tonks said merrily as she passed by the stern looking witch. She reached Remus as he put something in his shirt pocket. "Another trinket the trio left?" She said as she peered up at him, he wasn't much taller than her but she liked looking at him from different angles. Being a metamorphmagus meant she did a lot of studying how different people reacted to certain things.

"You never answered my question?" Remus said as he looked pointedly at his feet.

"Well you never answered mine? Remus are you doing this because you think that they might not have lived through this and now Voldemort is all powerful? Are you doing this because our world might end?" Somewhere along the way she had given up being afraid of a name.

Remus looked at her as he carefully pondered her questions. He loved Tonks, no doubt about it, but why did he propose at that time. Something inside of him had told him it was right.

"Tonks," his hand had somehow found its way to her cheek. "It just felt like the right time. Something inside of me told me to stop being nervous about asking you and be a man."

"Well, in that case I guess I have to say yes." She smiled at him as he started to chuckle and she soon found herself laughing too.

The sound of their laughter floated into the kitchen where Ginny sat at the table. She picked up the letter Ron wrote to Hermione and scrutinized it. After rereading all the words of it she then picked up the letter he had written to his siblings and looked over that. There had to be some clue as to what had gone on or even if they were coming back.

Slowly the letters were placed back on the table as she let out a sigh. She would not think about them. Harry and Hermione were just friends; they denied being more so many times that they had to be right. After all, why would Hermione help her get Harry if she liked him herself?

Decidedly she turned her thoughts to Ron, and as she did she glanced around the room. You could always find Ron in the kitchen at different points in the day. Ron had always been there for her, a bit protective sometimes, but she knew he cared. Now there was every possibility that she might not see him again. She was never going to be able to pick on him or yell at him or laugh with him. But most of all she wouldn't be the youngest of six anymore and that really got to her.

Molly watched as her daughter's face became a mirror of thoughts. She wished there was something she could do, but she knew that right now Ginny needed her space. Quietly she conjured up pots and pans and set her thoughts on to lunch. But unconsciously she kept her eyes on her daughter.

She remember the moment she learned that her seven child was going to be a girl. Molly had cried so long and for no reason what so ever. She loved all of her boys, but she had always wanted a girl. Someone she could pass on all of her wisdom to, but her daughter, over the years, became even more than that. Ginny became much more independent then either of her parents could believe. They loved how strong she had become and how she didn't let any of her brothers boss her around. But Ginny was her princess and now her heart might have been broken. Molly honestly didn't know what to do, she had only loved one man in her life and that had been enough for her.

"Mum," Ginny's voice sounded so soft, so scared when she spoke. "Do you think we are being stupid holding on to the hope that they might come back?"

Arthur sat in the living room with four out of his six sons, His eyes traveled over each of them as he gazed about the room. Fred and George were playing chess, Charlie was pretending to read a book, and Bill was talking with his wife Fleur. They seemed to be having a heated discussion about something. But he didn't question it as his eyes traveled back to the clock on the mantel. It still hadn't changed.

"Knight to E5," Fred spoke as he and George played a friendly game of chess. They were trying their hardest to have the game take their mind off of what they heard in Ron's letters. "George, do you think that Ron was right?"

George watch as the knight took one of his pawns and finally he looked up to his twin. "Right about what?"

"About it being hard to adjust after the war, especially for them? Do you think that when they come back they are going to be different? Do you think that Ron won't come back as Ron?"

Their crystal blue eyes met as the pieces on the chess board awaited George's move. Fear was mirrored in their eyes; fear that even if they got their brother back he wasn't going to be their brother any more. It scared Fred to think that Ron was going to be anything but Ron, and it scared George to think that Fred had thought about it.

"I don't know, Fred. Queen to E5," he said and they went back to their game.

Charlie was listening intently to the twins conversation, and to be honest it scared him more than facing a grown dragon, which he did almost everyday. His eyes were glued on the page of the Quidditch book he was holding but his mind was wondering. At first it went to the first time Ron had said his name, it had come out Warlie. He remembered being the one to teach Ron how to ride a broom. His little baby brother had been so scared he was going to fall and he was only a foot from the ground, yet Charlie had promised him he was right there and he wouldn't let him fall.

Then there was the summer right after he graduated. He had only come home for a week but during that week Ron pestered him about everything Hogwarts. The night before Charlie was to leave Ron had told him he didn't want him to go because he didn't want to lose him. Charlie had given Ron something special he gave him his wand and told him that by using that wand Charlie would always be with him.

His mum had thanked him profusely for doing that as it saved them from buying one more thing for the new Hogwarts student. Charlie the next day made a special trip and picked up a new wand.

Bill and Fleur were holding an intense conversation in their own corner of the room. Just as Bill was going to say something the smell of food made its way into the living room and Fleur rushed out of the room holding a hand over her mouth. Every looked from her to Bill, who just shrugged.

"She says it is just the flu, but I still want her to get checked out by a healer but she won't." He explained to everyone in the room. All four men in the room nodded their agreement.

Jane, Edward, and Hagrid were out by the orchard. The field where the Weasley's often played Quidditch was only a stone's throw away. Hagrid was telling them about the time that Hermione and Harry had saved Buckbeak's life.

"And then they said that Sirius rode off on Buckbeak into the night. Hermione and Harry compared it to a Western Movie, but I had no clue what they were talking about." Hagrid laughed as Jane and Edward tried to explain a western to him. He waved their explanation off and they fell silent.

"Hermione is the smartest witch of her age, never invented a spell our Hermione couldn't do. I told her that once and she took it with such grace that it amazed me. You raised that one right," Hagrid said as they made their way back to the Burrow.

"Hagrid what can you tell us about Harry? Hermione has mentioned him so much that we feel like we know him and yet we don't. She never mentions anything from his up-bringing. Hagrid what happened there?"

Hagrid looked out over the trees as Jane finished her sentence, he actually looked pained. "I brought him to those people, took him from his parent's broken house and all." He took a deep breath as if the strength required to continue was huge, and of course it was.

"The Dursleys were the only family he had left, and they didn't like that too much, but they still took him. They actually feared anything that was abnormal. Basically, they hated Harry for being Harry. I don't understand why Dumbledore left him there knowing that but he did. And I went along with it. I gave him his first ever birthday present, or at least the first one he remembered. I'm sure you've met her, nicest owl there ever was, that Hedwig."

Hagrid paused on seeing Tonks and Remus sitting out by the garden.

"When he came to Hogwarts I thought he was finally going to have that safety he deserved; the love he deserved. Well, he had the love of his friends and that became his family, but he didn't have the safety."

Remus waved to Hagrid as Jane, Edward, and him, went inside the house. Hagrid almost bent in half to make it through the door. "Tonks I'm not as scared anymore," he breathed in her scent of lilacs and vanilla, a unique scent that fit perfectly for her.

"I didn't think you were scared, Remus. I just thought you were angry that you were going to be the only left, again." She rubbed her hand across his chin and let out a laugh, "you need to shave." Just as they were about to do something that would make Sirius Black blush Molly called out to them that lunch was ready.

"Well, one set of letters down and two to go." He pulled her up from the ground and quickly pulled her into a hug. "But as always we must be fed and watered first."

They went into the house laughing, and knowing that for right now everything wasn't perfect but it wasn't horrible either. Horrible would have to wait for another day.


	8. Chapter 8

With lunch came the appearance that everything was right with the world, but once the last plate was cleared and Fleur came downstairs everyone seemed to tense up once again. Jane and Edward looked at the letters and then at each other. Even from their place they could see Hermione's neat handwriting and their names: _mum and daddy_.

Jane reached out and took the letter; she held it carefully as if it was the last drop of water on earth and if it feel the world would end or her hope. She studied the whole thing down to the seal. The paper of the envelope was heavy and the seal was pretty. A triangle and a book, a piece from a chess set (a knight), and a ball with wings. She smiled softly as she broke the seal and took out a rather thick wad of paper.

_Mum and Daddy,_

_First off I want to say I'm sorry for telling you some of this stuff via a letter. I know these past few years have been hard on you, what with me going off more and more, and separating myself from the world I grew up in. But it is the truth I am a witch, and my true place is in the Wizarding World._

_Remember the first summer I was home and Aunt Lisa and Mindy came to visit and I had to hide everything from them? "How was school?" they would ask. I so desperately wanted to tell them about fighting a troll and learning how to fly a broom. Or even the library: so full of books, and if you drew on them they would come and attack you._

_It was the first time I realized what being a witch was costing me. It was costing me your world. And I know we have always said that there was always one world, but this year has taught me that isn't true. This year I got to learn so much about what being me, Hermione Granger, meant. It meant even more because of how much you both had taught me._

_When Harry, Ron, and I met at Grimmauld place it took a while to adjust to living with two boys. At school we lived in separate dorms and only shared common space. I had the chance to escape them, but this year they were everywhere. Their clothes, the messes, and no escape._

_It took me a while to realize what this adventure could cost us; a life. Now it might not be ours, in fact I could right now be trying to persuade you not to be reading this letter, but as Harry said, "someone is going to have to die."_

_Right now I've holed myself up in the library (the only place the boys rarely invade), Harry and Ron are on the other side of the door. I just need a moment to myself. I think I deserve that much after all I've been through._

_Just this year I've been cursed, burnt, had a broken arm, learned way too many healing spells, and been used as bait for a stupid snake. And all the while we have had time to laugh, talk, and especially cry._

_Through the months that have led to this moment we have come to realize our friendship is much more important than other things. If my first year self could see me right now she would deck me. Well, the version of her right after we met Fluffy. I was so scared and frightened and there they were, my two boys, saying that we should do that again. I think I mentioned something about getting expelled being worse than getting killed. I would have been mortified at twelve to learn that I dropped out of school right before my final year._

_But you mum and dad have supported my every move, though you didn't always agree. Yes, I am talking about that faithful day in July. All three of us stepped off the Hogwarts train, changed people._

_All the way home you tried to get me to talk about my year at school, but I could barely comprehend a word you were saying. I was trying to figure out how to tell you that I would be leaving once again and soon. Except this time I might not be coming back. It would have been incredibly cruel for me to have just said, "Oh and by the way if you wake up tomorrow morning to find me gone, don't worry. I'll be safe wherever I'm going." But we knew that that is the furthest from the truth. I didn't know if I would be safe. I just knew I had to do this._

_So, after dinner we talked and I explained some of what had happened last year. I had actually started to hate myself for who I had become that year. I was acting like a petty, stupid girl for a whole year, and not your daughter. That had to be left behind; I now needed to find myself more than ever. But more than that I knew that while this year was to be a journey of self discover on some level it would, more importantly, be a journey of love._

_What do I mean by that? Well, let me explain something, Tom Riddle, his father, was tricked into loving his mother. She used a love potion. Meaning this hateful war began with love. His mother loved his father so much she believed after they were married and the potion wore off he would actually love her. But he didn't, and so she passed on what love she had left in her broken heart by giving her son the name of his father, Tom Riddle. But Tom didn't know that and so he grew to hate his father for what he did to his mother._

_Years later a little baby boy was born: Harry Potter. His parents loved him very much; so much they gave their lives for him. His mother sacrificed herself to see that one day her son might grow up and kill Tom Riddle who knew of love but couldn't feel it. But, Harry, my Harry, knows love and feels it every day of his life because he knew what his parents did for him._

_I'm not sure I explained that correctly or even to your satisfaction, but that is why I went to help my best friend. He needed to be reminded that people love him, not just because he is the boy-who-lived, but also as Harry. So Ron and I packed our bags and we did what we did best...we made sure he remembered that._

_This journey has been hard and difficult. I doubt that you will recognize me if I return. This year has brought about some changes in me. My eyes no longer hold the same light in them, or so Harry has told me countless times. Both my boys have told me how much I have changed. I laugh more now than I ever did because to laugh is to remember that there are some times that aren't controlled by fear. I also have become less pressing about studies. Life isn't controlled by how many good grades you get, it's controlled by how you live it, the choices you make and the people you love._

_Mum, I know that I told you about my feelings for Ron but I have to tell you that those have changed. It wouldn't have worked out and we have both realized it. It is funny to see how much my boys have matured over this year._

_Ron has become less of the fool his has somewhat been. He thinks, more, before he speaks. And as always he is very valuable. He plans every mission we have gone on with the information I have given him about every object we have gone looking for. Heck he even planned the safest route to and from the grocery store._

_Harry has become less withdrawn. He talks to us about his every thought and move and that is just at breakfast. I have no doubt that if he took the NEWTs he would pass with flying colors by the amount of information he has learned this year. Harry has also become very domestic, he doesn't mind doing work around the house. Which I am forever grateful because he does it the muggle way._

_So mum and daddy I leave you with these remarks. I love you both. You mean the world to me, which is partly why I'm doing this. As I have realized that these are my closing remarks and possibly the last words you might read from me you should know that I have tried to make you proud with everything I have done._

_Your baby girl,_

_Hermione_

Jane Granger noticed that there were tear stains on the bottom of the letter and she gently moved her thumb over them. Her daughter had obviously let her emotions over take her as she reached the end of this letter, and she hoped that someone was there to comfort her. But she hoped that they couldn't comfort her the way she did; with the touch of a mother.

She quickly found herself in her husbands embrace as she let her own tears flow. "She did make us proud," she sobbed out into his collar. "She should have known that." Jane was trying so hard to remember all the times they had told that to their daughter, but there were too many of them and they overwhelmed her.

"I'm sure she already knew that," Roger's voice soothed her as he rubbed her back.

Everyone looked on as the Grangers had their moment. Almost everyone in the room knew what the three best friends were up against. They knew of the horrors of this war. Bill had been mauled by a werewolf and had survived with just the scars and some premature aging, and Arthur had nearly died when bitten by Voldemort's snake. The various others in the room had seen battle after battle, but the Grangers knew little of what this meant and neither cared. All they wanted was their daughter back, alive, and to let her know that she was everything to them.

Jane regained her composure and walked over to Molly and embraced the older women. "I know that even though that envelope was address to us she has always thought of you as a second set of parents. Thank you for being there for her."

Minerva smiled as she thought of Hermione and of the first time she had seen the girl. It was right before the traditional sorting ceremony and she looked just as nervous as the rest of the new first years. It must have been so hard to come from the muggle world and learn to adjust to life as a witch or wizard. Especially when you are told they don't exist for half of your life and then you find out they do. Almost like you were living a lie.

Before she even registered it her hand was holding a thick envelope. "Stupid charm," she said as she looked to see everyone looking at her. "Well, it is addressed to me." Her Scottish accent always got thicker as she reprimanded her students.

"Figures she would write you the letter," Fred said and George elbowed him as McGonagall gave them her patented stare. The one that said, "You'll be cleaning the hospital bedpans without magic for a week if you keep that up."

She looked over the envelope and noticed that it was exactly the same envelopes Hogwarts used to send their letters; all was the same except for the seal and the handwriting.

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Weasley Kitchen, The Burrow_

The girl had obviously done this on purpose and out of respect.

_Professor McGonagall,_

_When I first learned about Hogwarts I wanted to be in Gryffindor house and I got my wish. The sorting hat had chosen me to go in there even though it said I would do wonderful in Ravenclaw. My first two months at Hogwarts were what I expected. Being in Gryffindor wasn't all that I thought it would be, so I came to see you about changing houses._

_You immediately brought me to see the Headmaster. I think I was in awe of him just as much as I was in awe of you. I told the Headmaster of my problem and he told me to remember the words the hat spoke before I put it on my head. "It has never been wrong," that is what it said. And I argued that it chose Ravenclaw for me, but I chose Gryffindor for myself. I have to admit that even at twelve I made a pretty convincing argument. But alas Dumbledore told me something I shall never forget, "It is our choices that show us who we truly are; far more than abilities."_

_He was right then, and he was right when I wrote that letter to tell you I had to decline the position as head girl because I wouldn't be coming back. I just never thought that a sentence so simply spoken could define me for the rest of my life. It has helped me in many of the decisions I have had to make this year._

_Being in Gryffindor house has also helped me to get through all of this. You have no idea how grateful I was, and am, for the guidance you have given me through the years. I've heard the saying that `even though you leave Hogwarts you never leave your house,' and I think it is completely true._

_So I wanted to thank you for everything and for all the opportunities you have given me through out the years. You have pushed me to excel in many ways but none more important than in my friendships._

_Your student,_

_Hermione Granger_

Minerva read the letter aloud and she looked to the portrait beside her. "This is completely your fault, Albus." A small smile graced her lips as she said these words. "Hermione was a good girl, and you had to go and fill her head with that nonsense of yours."

"I'm sorry, Minerva, but she took those words into her heart and made them her own." Albus sighed as he sat in his throne like chair. Though it was only a portrait it still had a piece of Albus Dumbledore in it. "Hermione is a good girl, a smart girl, and I know that wherever she is right now she is needed. After all you taught her well."

The two professors exchanged some more talk before Minerva glared at the portrait, it offered her a lemon drop, and she turned back to the others around the table. She neatly folded the letter and put it in the envelope. Silently she handed it to the Grangers who placed it with their own.


	9. Chapter 9

Seeing as Hermione was not one to waste time they decided to dive right in to the next two letters. But it was confusing, almost as though Hermione couldn't quite decide whom she wanted to read each one. Molly was an easy and direct decision for Ron's letter, but when no one reached out to grab Harry's a ripple went through the group. Maybe, everyone thought, at some point during the five-minute wait, that no one was intended to read what was written in it. Oddly enough it was Ginny who reached out and grabbed the letter.

The youngest Weasley looked down at the envelope in her hand with a horrified expression. She couldn't believe that Hermione would do such a thing to her knowing the pain it would cause. Wasn't it enough that she was left behind to worry and wait while she got to go with him? She got to be there for his… for his everything. She had become the person he went to with problems, the person he confided in, and the person he trusted above all others except Dumbledore, who was now dead.

Molly had always considered Hermione another one of her own children. She knew the friendship that Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared was special, that it was more important than anything else to them. Now she stared at the letter the girl had so attentively written and she couldn't help but wonder what it held. Was there some kind of confession or did it hold, like the other letters, hopes and wishes? Molly broke the seal and took out the letter with a shaking hand.

Ron,

It is Lev-ee-OH-sa, not Lev-ee-oh-SA, Ron that was the beginning of our turbulent and loving friendship. Ron, do you remember? If it weren't for you I wouldn't be where I am today. You have pushed me in some of the strangest ways to help me achieve my goals. And the funny thing is that you have never been aware of it.

This year has been hard for the both of us. We tried to date and that didn't work out. You accused me of loving someone else and we both knew you were right. But you also understood that I never meant to hurt you and so we forged ahead. Ron I know that I have told you this many times since that faithful afternoon, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry that we never got our chance to even try and work things out between us, we never got to see what it would have been like, but it is our choices that shape us. And we just made too many choices for us to actually be, but friends are even better than that.

So we went on being friends and then we destroyed the first Horcrux. I found it kind of amusing that Kreacher actually became useful. I know that I kept telling you all to be nice to him (and you should have been) but he really is rather awful. With one down and three more left I got a little nervous.

What if we couldn't actually do this? What if one of us got seriously injured before we finished this and only two were allowed to go on? I think Harry sensed my nervousness because he told me that it was all of us or none of us. And we held true to that.

And so we searched for Hufflepuff's goblet. It was tough and it took me a while to pin point exactly where Voldemort had put it, but I did find it. The battle that took place there was horrible. I've never underestimated my abilities before but after that day I did. I was always the one getting the two out of trouble not into it.

I've tried so many times to thank you for what you did for me that day. Ron, you saved my life and you called it no big deal. You said, and I quote, "you would have done the same thing for me so let's drop it." But for four days later it was obvious that what you had done was a big deal. Harry and I got you back to the house and into your room but all you did was stare at the wall. Your eyes were empty; you weren't with us any longer. I was really frightened that we had lost you. We tried everything; we talked and eventually yelled. Harry even cooked you a meal and brought it up. Nothing helped…until I punched you. You came flying out of that trance quicker than you had gone into it. You broke down sobbing and clutching at the both of us. I've never seen you cry Ronald, and I can honestly say I never want to again. I didn't like it one bit, mister.

When Christmas came around you went home. This left Harry and I at Grimmuald place. The whole house was decked out for a party we never had and never planned. I remember falling asleep on the couch watching the lights twinkle on the eve of Christmas. Our time of rest was too quick and we shortly came back together. I never told you, but Harry and I went to visit my parents house. He insisted that I should see them. Ron I knew why you wanted to go home for Christmas. It was so you could have one last goodbye, but we never made it inside. I watched them through the windows as they decked the tree on Christmas Eve and I just couldn't go in. I wanted to go in, but something held me back. I think I now know what it was. I knew if I went in and hugged them and had Christmas Eve tea with them I would never leave them. And Harry is too important.

You were prepared to do what you needed to do. Both of you were. But I wasn't and I don't know if I'll ever be as strong as you and Harry. I came back from that trip and I knew that whatever happened next was going to be okay even if it ended all wrong.

I sit here in the kitchen of Grimmauld place and I'm taking it all in. You and Harry are playing a game of exploding snap as I write my letter. Harry's eyebrows are singed and you have burnt marks on your fingers. Can you believe we have been in this house for under a year? It seems like we have been doing this for ages.

We have, haven't we? For seven years now we have been fighting this war. We fought this war before we even knew it existed. What are we going to do after all this ends, Ron? I doubt I even know what it feels like to go for longer than a week without mention of Voldemort, or a piece of his soul or another random death. And I think that is why we acted the way we did during our sixth year, we wanted one year without having to deal with it all, but in reality we were right in the thick of it and we didn't want to be.

I'm sorry for what happened that year. I know that I've told you that about a million times, but once more won't hurt, right? I mean you might never hear me say that again. Ron, I don't want to die. I'm scared shitless of what I'm going to miss if I do.

Am I going to miss you falling in love? Am I going to miss Harry finally realizing he is much more than he ever thought he was? And the scary thing is is that you are just as scared as me. I can see it in your eyes. That is a sign on how close we became this year.

Ron, I need to tell you as couple more things…If I die in the battle you need to take care of Harry and you need to take care of yourself. You know that Harry and I became rather close this year and he won't be taking my death too well. I don't want to say too much just you aren't the one reading this. If anything they need to hear all the details from us, in person, and not from a crummy letter. Why again did we agree to this? Oh, right, because he is Harry.

I Love You,

Hermione

Molly took a quick glance over the letter, she noticed the tear stains on the edges and she wasn't sure if they were hers or Hermione's. She did a recount of all the times over the past year that she had cursed at her son for going off with Harry, but she never once thought that Hermione had done the wrong thing. It was so easy to forget that even through all this Hermione wasn't a grown-up. Molly shook her head correcting herself; they were all grown-ups now. Ron, Harry, and Hermione had done more than she could ever have dreamed of doing, and now they were gone. All that was left were their words and that wasn't much comfort.

Ginny took in the words her mother read and she started to shake her head. This couldn't really be happening, she thought as she glanced around the table. They had to be coming back. Harry was going to make a grand entrance with Hermione and Ron on each side, but each of them wrote like they were dying or worse dead.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. It sounds like they have given up hope." Ginny spoke as she clutched the letter bearing Harry's name on it. "And now I have to read this letter and then the next batch will come. And what! What," she was shouting now. "Will the great hero have to tell us?"

No one moved to comfort the girl they just watched her dissolve into tears. They watched her as she asked the question everyone had been thinking what was the hero going to say? But before they could get to that they knew they were going to have to read what his hero had to say. And the girl that had been assigned that task was on the verge of destruction. Her jumping might all depend on what that letter was going to hold or what it didn't.

Ginny sunk back into her chair as she settled down. Her breathing was raged and she looked at the once non-crinkled letter this just might be the downfall of her childhood dreams. "The day has come when dreaming ends," she thought as she turned the letter over. Hermione had made her watch the movie Moulin Rouge before Bill's wedding and the quote came swimming into her mind as she stared at the seal.

"Opening it doesn't mean the end of the world," Remus spoke up from his chair. "I know because I've open two already," the thing that struck Ginny as she looked up at her former professor was that he didn't seem sad, he seemed a little lost but not sad.

Carefully, she broke the wax seal. No one noticed the clock on the mantel in the living room starting to move. Well, it didn't move but one of its hands did: Hermione's name went from Mortal Peril to Traveling to Mortal Peril. And the house was silent as all eyes were glued on Ginny. All eyes but those eyes of the twinkling portrait of Dumbledore.

Harry,

There are so many things I wish to tell you, but the words can't be formed. And I don't know if it is the oath we took to not talk about some stuff or if it is the lump I get in my throat every time I think about those things.

When I was six I read a book called, "The Hobbit," for the first time. Now I know Ron and you would say that "Hogwarts, A History," is my favorite book but you would be wrong. I love "The Hobbit" and have since that first time I opened its pages. Why am I telling you this, you might ask. Well, I wanted you to know that all this year I didn't turn to that book anymore when I needed comfort, instead I turned to you.

You have had a major impact on my life, and it was because of you and Ron that I have stopped fully living in the world of books. Heck, Ron and you have even gotten me to play Quidditch once or twice this year. You, Harry, have had my friendship and love for as long as I can remember, and now as I write this letter I'm afraid to let you know that I know.

They call me the smartest witch in a century. They tell me there had never been a spell invented I haven't been able to perform, but you know they are wrong. I can't take someone's life. That is one spell I've tried and failed at and I'm proud of that. You taught me to be proud of that. During the time that Ron wigged out we started talking about what it would be like to not have to worry about any of this. I have to say it was the furthest thing from my mind at that moment but you said we needed to talk. Casually you brought up my falter, I was desperately hoping no one had noticed, but what was I thinking of course you noticed.

You took the time to listen to my random thoughts as I tried to explain what had happened. I froze up, I failed, and I did it knowingly. And right then and there I dissolved, but you brought me back. You said, "I can't lose the both of you." That is when I gave up letting Ron be in a trance and punched him. So much of our lives, this year, have focused on this moment, at least for me.

Why is it that we always realize the important things when someone is hurt? I can remember first year, when Dumbledore brought you to the hospital wing, after you defeated Voldemort and I was scared shitless that I was going to lose you. And I had just found you. I remember begging Madame Pomfrey to let me stay the night but she wouldn't so I snuck in as the first light of day crept into the hospital wing. I think she was amused to see me sitting there when she came out to check on you not an hour later. But during that hour I sat and talked to you and told you so many things, none of which you remembered when you woke up.

I told you that you weren't allowed to leave me. I couldn't bear the thought of living my life without you and I was only eleven and we had just begun to become true best friends. So I talked and you listened and then I got kicked out of the hospital wing but not before I promised that I would always be there for you. I didn't put that in our bottles of memories because I didn't feel that it needed to be said anymore, once was enough to make it true in my mind. And so I never left you again.

We go to Hogwarts in a couple of days and you already know that everything has been ready ever since the first night in this house. We all sleep with clothes on and bags at the edges of our beds. We are so sensitive to sounds during night that it makes sleeping hard. So we have all spent many nights up in this kitchen. Sometimes we would argue and other times we would play a game of exploding snap and other times we would just sit cradling cups of tea waiting for the dawn to come.

Tonight might be another one of those nights; though tonight we will all pretend to sleep. But I know that somehow we will find each other at some point or another. I'll come to your room or you to mine and Ron will follow shortly after and we will all fall asleep just knowing that we have each other and that we are all okay.

What about when all of this is through? Will we still have the sleepless nights? Will there be even more of them? Harry what are you going to do once you don't know what your future holds? What are we going to become when this battle has been fought?

I like to think we will all go back to leading quiet lives. I like to think that I would finish school and maybe even pester you and Ron to join me. After all Hogwarts isn't Hogwarts without you two. I just want you to know that whatever you decide I'll be there supporting you and giving you the love and support you need to make it through the hard times that are going to come even after we have won.

You have my soul,

Hermione

Ginny let the short letter fall to the ground as the tears spilt from her eyes. She had never loved Harry like that and she knew she never could. Gradually she regained her composure and pushed away from George who had somehow been hugging her while she cried. She had all the love she needed right here in this room and that was what was going to help her get over the hurt of knowing she had been foolish in trying to love Harry.

Remus watched yet another heart break because of the war; he looked towards Professor McGonagall and the portrait of Professor Dumbledore. Not many had even guessed the full extent of their relationship but because he was a werewolf he could sense some things. They too had lost much during this war; they had lost each other. And he wasn't talking about them being lovers, in fact he never wanted to think about that, but he was talking about their closeness as friends.

"You know I think that tomorrow we should clean out Grimmauld place. Well at least of some of their stuff." Everyone turned to look at him and he smiled. "After all they can't live there for the rest of their lives it is a hell hole."

"Not all hope is lost just some is misplaced," Tonks said as she gave Remus a kiss when she noticed he was smiling. Four more letters left and what each of them said was going to be a roller coaster of emotions to the person reading and the people listening. They were all ready though because hope had been misplaced and it would be found in those letters. After all Harry is the hero of this story


	10. Chapter 10

Four letters were the only things that lay on the table and everyone stared at them. This was the last straw and it just might break the camel's back. But before that happened they had to be picked up. There was one written to Hagrid and he snatched it up, one written to Hermione that Jane Granger picked up, another written to Ron, in which Arthur took, and the last one had no address, but Tonks sheepishly picked it up.

All four letter bearers glanced at each other and then Arthur, Jane, and Tonks looked to Hagrid. Hagrid knew he was going to be the first and he looked at the letter. He remembered picking up Harry from his parent's destroyed house, he remembered being the one to tell him he was a wizard, and he remembered taking him to Diagon Alley. The boy was amazed by such the littlest of things that it even amazed Hagrid. How could one so young been sborn to do such great things? True back then Hagrid didn't know what he knew now. If he did know the future then he would have taken Harry far away from what Hogwarts held. Away from the death and the pain and the destruction, but a wise man one said our choices shape us. He knew that Harry had made the right choice to fight the fight. He had made the brave choice of not hiding and facing whatever came his way. Hagrid was counting on Harry's bravery to pull him through the next hour, day, week, and year.

Carefully, he broke the seal on the envelope. The letter slipped from it and into his shaking hands. Hagrid let out a sigh as opened the letter.

_Hagrid,_

_You've known me since I was born. In fact the whole Order has known me since I was born. Albus, Minerva, Moody, Remus, and you because you all knew my parents. And like I've been told several million times (a hundred of which by you) I am my parents. A spitting image of my father except for the eyes, I have Lily's eyes. You were the first person to tell me this. And ever since then you have told me many numerous facts about them._

_Once you told me that you were the one who rescued me from the house in which they died and then ten years later you took me from the Dursleys. I feel like I owe you my life for all the times you have saved me. But I know that anything I offer you you won't take. And that, Hagrid, is a true friend and that is what you are to me, a true friend. My first._

_Through out my years at Hogwarts you have become a constant fixture that Ron, Hermione, and I go to when we need to hash out our wild and crazy schemes about who is evil. We have told you everything, and you will once again be told everything._

_It started last year when Dumbledore started giving me lessons on Voldemort's past. They revealed that Voldemort had broken his soul into six different parts (one still in him to make seven). And I was going to have to find four of these parts and destroy them. I told Ron and Hermione this, and they decided (and I didn't get a say) that they were going with me. I honestly couldn't say no to them (mostly because they wouldn't listen), and so I told them we would leave after Bill's wedding._

_Before Bill's wedding we all said our goodbyes to our families. Hermione went to her parents house, and explained everything, Ron said goodbye to his mum and dad, and I went and said goodbye to Aunt Petunia. Shortly after our goodbyes and reassurances we all met up at Grimmauld place. And there in the entrance way we took an oath that all of this wouldn't be talked about to others until after the final battle. It wasn't a real oath, I think, but it was good enough for us._

_So we started living our lives in Grimmauld Place. First, I convinced Kreacher to stay in the kitchen at Hogwarts, and then I asked Dobby if he wanted a job. We offered him two galleons a week and anything else he wanted. Needless to say I think professor McGonagall was a little shocked to have one of her house elf's resign. That is judging from the letter I got._

_Hermione, Ron, and I really got the house back to working order. I think we spent the first two weeks there just cleaning it and then we got down to work. We started discussing the Horcruxes. That is where Kreacher came in handy. We made a special visit to Hogwarts for that._

_I'm sorry we didn't visit you on any of our trips there. But each of us knew that to keep going we would have to keep our contact with the other world at a minimum. It would have been too hard to keep seeing the reminders of what we gave up to go on this fight. Anyway we went to Hogwarts many times during the year. It is amazing how you can find solace under an invisibility cloak sitting by the lake. We also went to the shrieking shacks many times and spent the night there. Whenever, that is, we got a tip that the school might be attacked._

_I remember the first time we visited the town this year and it was completely deserted; all the town members just up and left. I don't think we ever felt the weight of the war until we saw the scene that lay before us when we arrived at Hogsmead that cold afternoon. I guess with Dumbledore gone the town's people didn't feel safe anymore._

_We kept on researching and looking for the Horcruxes. Obviously, we found the ones that were left. The locket was in Hogwarts with Kreacher, the goblet was in the orphanage, the wand was in his first house, and Nagini was out on a mission when we found her._

_And now we go to the final battle. He can finally be killed and I'm still not sure I'm ready. I'm pretty sure I'll have to use the killing curse on him, but I've never done that before. I've never been able to conjure up that much hatred. Hermione keeps telling me that maybe I need to use a spell that isn't focused on hatred, but on something else. I have no clue what she is talking about. But I'm not the only one because Ron thinks she is nuts too. He says she has been spending way too much time with me lately and has picked up those Dumbledore-like habits I now have._

_So this is it. This is goodbye, Hagrid. If I die I want to be buried next to my parents, and I want you to be the one who is in charge of taking care of that. You always said Dumbledore gave you the most important jobs and this is the important task I'm giving to you._

_Thank you for being there._

_Harry_

Hagrid set down the letter. He glanced it over, and was surprised to see the ink was constantly changing colors. It made him laugh and then he broke down in huge sobs. His tears were the size of rain drops, and he tried to stop their flow with a yellow table cloth sized handkerchief.

"There, there, Hagrid," a soothing yet ancient voice came from beside him. "After all he isn't really gone, not yet. You must never give up hope. Now, have a lemon drop and let's get on with Harry's letters." It seemed that even Professor Dumbledore's portrait had a weak spot for lemon drops.

"So do we open the letter that is addressed to no one now?" Tonks asked as she changed her noise to the shape of a pig snout. The twins let out a snort at her antics and everyone glanced at Remus.

"Well, Hermione's letter at the beginning of this reading adventure said that the letters to Ron and Hermione were supposed to be last." At his words Tonks tore into the envelope. She hardly even glanced at the seal as it broke in half in her hast to read what Harry had written. Inside the envelope was a piece of folded parchment paper.

"Okay here we go…" But before Tonks could finish unfolding the letter everyone was suddenly transported to the kitchen of Grimmauld place. There sat the three teenagers.

"What is so important that you had to drag us out of bed at this ungodly hour," Hermione questioned Harry as she nursed a cup of coffee. Ron lifted his head an inch off the table in a sign of agreement as Harry sat looking at his two friends.

Mrs. Weasley finally grasping the situation began to call out to the three teenagers, but none of them seemed to hear her. "Molly," Remus's voice cut through the argument Harry and Hermione were having about proper sleeping times. "This is yet another memory. In fact it is very much like a pensive." He then turned back to look at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as everyone fell silent.

"I don't see why you are so tired Hermione. It's not like you and Harry do anything in that bed. You keep telling me over and over that all you do is sleep." Ron grinned as he said this and Hermione smacked him upside the head. She looked ready to reprimand him, but Harry cut in.

"I want, no I need, to write a will."

"You have will, mate, what do you need to write it down for?" Ron got up and poured himself some coffee. Hermione explained what a will was to a sleepy Ron, and they all watched as Ron let the coffee spill over the edge of the cup and onto his hand. "Ow! Now why in heavens name do you think you are going to die?"

"We all might die, Ron. This is war after all." Hermione said as she went to the cupboard to get the burn ointment for his hand.

"Yeah, but he is Harry." Ron said as he stared at his best friend. "Mate, you can't die. I just…you're my…you just can't."

"Ron...I don't plan on dying, but if I do I want you all to have something of mine. Something so that if your memory gets fuzzy then you can look and see that I was truly here. That I loved you both."

"Okay fine if you want to write something down then we will but I get your Firebolt." All three friends glanced at each other before they shared a laugh.

"I want the cloak and of course this sweater of yours." She said pointing at what she was wearing.

"Consider it done. Now let's discuss what I give to others. For instance you two have accounts set up at Gringotts. In the event that I do happen to keel over and die," Ron snorted into his cup at this, "then you both will be given the rights to these accounts. They each hold twenty thousand galleons and some other stuff I thought you would both find funny and sentimental. You also will share joint ownership of this house. Not much I know, but I thought you would enjoy having it." He looked towards Hermione when he made this comment and she smiled at him. Her smile he noted didn't reach her eyes, but not many of them did nowadays.

"Hagrid will be getting the Marauders Map." Hermione and Ron let out a laugh at this and then turned back to Harry who was looking at how to say the next thing on his list. "Aunt Petunia will be getting…"

"Honestly Harry, how can you give that woman anything?" Hermione's voice cut through whatever he was about to say. Harry got up and hugged Hermione. Their conversation was so hushed that no one, not even the entourage, knew what they were saying.

"Now Aunt Petunia will be getting the daily prophet for the rest of her life to remind her that the wizarding world does exist and she is connected to it." Harry sunk back into his chair as Ron and Hermione followed him to the table. "Dobby can have all my socks," He said as the house elf appeared with some sandwiches. "Remus will be getting the photo album Hagrid made for me in my first year, the one you keep adding pictures to Hermione."

"What do you think so far?" He looked towards his two best friends and they smiled at him. Even though they didn't agree with him dying they were not going to stop him from making this will. It would ease his mind to know that even if he died his family was well taken care of.

"Harry," Hermione said quietly.

The shared a look. Both could see the pain in each others eyes. They rarely ever talked about what was to come when the final battle took place. It was an unpleasant talk for all three of them and Ron rarely ever stayed around long enough to hear that his best friend might die, but Hermione was also the shoulder Harry leaned on when he needed to talk to someone.

"Okay now on to the Weasleys." They broke eye contact but Harry picked up her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I would give your parents money, Ron." Ron let out a sigh as if knowing what Harry was going to say and he probably did. "But I know they won't take it. So instead I'm going to give them the recognition they deserve. I've written a letter, it's in Hermione's vault. Once I'm dead give it to the Daily Prophet and The Quibler. Make sure they print it exactly as it's written." Harry looked at Hermione who nodded. "Now on to Minerva, she gets all my school stuff."

Harry stood up and walked to refill his cup of coffee. "I think that about covers it. Oh wait Neville. Neville gets my wand. If it survives the battle then I want him to have it."

"Harry, what about…"

"Ginny," Ron finished for Hermione. They both knew it had ended between Harry and Ginny and even themselves, but they also knew that while Harry's feelings for Ginny were no longer mutual he still cared for her deeply.

"I've thought about this long and hard for the past month. In that time I decided what needed to be done and I have done it. I have begun the quest to destroy the Horcruxes, I've left everything but you two behind, and I've decided that if I am going to die I'm going to leave everything I have to those that mean more to me than anything in this world. I'm not fighting this war for the wizarding world; I'm fighting it for two reasons and two reasons alone. And those two reasons are you two. Ginny was….Ginny was a…"

"Distraction?" Ron asked quietly as he looked at his best friend with some anger hidden in his eyes.

"You said it not me," Harry said with a grin as Ron took a swipe at him. The two boys ended up in a heap on the floor throwing fake punches at each other as Hermione looked on with laughter in her eyes.

"I have to fix breakfast so if you would kindly get out of my kitchen I will start making omelets." Hermione said to end this immaturity. Both boys looked up at the sound of food. Suddenly, Hermione was surrounded by her two best friends as they both gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled as she shooed them out of the kitchen all the while listen to them argue about whether or not the next Horcrux was as easy to find as the last. Quietly Hermione started getting the omelet fixings ready, and she as she turned on the stove the watchers heard her whisper, "I'm sorry Ginny."

Just as suddenly as they entered the memory they were thrown out of it. "Well, that was eventful." Tonks said as she stared at the piece of paper in front her.


	11. Chapter 11

"Are you kidding that was classic. That was like…Wow!" Fred said as George hit him upside the head. "Well, two more letters are left. Do you think, ladies and gentlemen, giant, werewolf, and you muggles, that we will finally get some information out of him?"

"You really do have a way of bring that subtly up, don't you Fred?" Ginny's voice interrupted Fred's ranting. For a minute he forgot about his little sister. It was kind of easy when you are one of six to forget about one of the younger ones, but this time it was a big mistake. He opened his mouth to apologize but Ginny shook it off. "What I don't need is for all of you to being feeling sorry for me. Stuff happens when they are in situations like that, but I trust Harry."

The grown-ups all shared looks of discomfort. Was it wise to crush the dreams of this young girl, Remus wondered? "Well, we still have two letters to read. I think that we should do that right away, but tomorrow we should go clean out Grimmauld place." He let out a sigh as he glanced at the paper Tonks was studying.

"There is something written on here if anyone wants to know what it is." She said in a soft voice. Everyone fell silent and they all focused their attention on her.

_Tonks,_

_I have a vault in Gringots set up in your name. It is for you and Remus. Use it to make him happy. Also I'm sure by now that Remus has collected the ring that I put at the Shrieking Shack. Please give it to her._

_Harry_

"Well, Harry also has to have the last word," Tonks said as she turned her hair into a rainbow full of colors. "I swear if I hadn't gotten to know him so well this past year..." She suddenly stopped as Remus elbowed her in the side. "OW! You know you aren't suppose to abuse the person who happens to do ungodly things to you…Oh wait I get it now."

"What do you mean Tonks?" George asked. "We were under the impression that only Remus was allowed in the house."

"Go ahead big mouth," Remus spoke up as Tonks audibly shut her mouth and looked like she was considering stuffing her hand in her mouth. "You mentioned it, and now we aren't going to get any farther without you telling them."

"Now...just remember they asked or else I wouldn't have done it," She was gazing at Mrs. Weasley. "During the second week of them staying at Grimmauld place we got a fire call. It was unexpected to the boot or else I would have done something about clothing…Anyway there comes Harry's head spinning into view his eyes shut after the first second or so and yelling something about needing major help. Remus and I thought something was seriously wrong. So Remus had the wards set up to recognize me."

Tonks took a deep breath and look at her wolf. He nodded for to continue, "Well Remus was the only one beside the three teenagers who could change the wards to recognize a new person and so he did it for me. We arrived at Grimmauld place ten minutes later, and there sat the three teenagers at the kitchen table calm as can be. Ron handed some money over to Harry and then he handed it to Hermione. They had taken bets to see how long it would take us to show up and whether or not I would come in clothes. Those buggers," She smiled at the memory. "We both sat down as they explained that while fixing up the house was good exercise and all they needed something more. They needed to be trained. And they choose me. From that point on I was sworn into their little club. Hell Remus here doesn't even know half of what I trained them to do but hell they are good. Which is why I'm not too worried about them not surviving."

Everyone seemed to take a moment before they exploded at what Tonks just shared to them. She exited the room and ran for outside as far as her legs could carry her. She made it to the orchard where the Weasley's played Quidditch before she collapsed.

"I forgot," Desperately she curled herself up into a ball and she began rocking back and forth. Strong arms cradled her as she sobbed. "I forgot, Remus. I tried to tell myself every time I went over there that I was doing it to protect them, and then somewhere along the way I forgot that they are just kids. They are kids' that were thrusted into the middle of this terrible war and they had no way out but to fight their way out. And then that week came where Ron finally mastered the killing curse. I remember it so vividly because I went over on my day off and there was Hermione sobbing in the hallway cause she thought Ron was never going to snap out of it. And she was crying because she had screwed up." It took several minutes for Tonks to get out the words, but once she did she felt better. Remus and she stayed out in the orchard for many more minutes before they started back to the house.

Jane Granger saw Tonks and Remus coming through the garden gate and she rushed out to give the girl a hug. She was proud of all that Tonks did to make sure her daughter stayed safe.

"Well, I guess I'll go next," Jane said as she entered the kitchen. "After all it seems fitting that Arthur goes last." No one questioned her as she glared at everyone in an oh-so-Hermione way.

She took the letter that Harry had written to her daughter and carefully looked at it and then at the clock that bore their names. Sighing she broke the seal. This was it, the last two letters, she thought as she pulled out three sheets of parchment. She did a quick glance and saw they were filled with neat handwriting on both the front and back. This was it.

_Hermione,_

_I got to write these last two letters, you and Ron, and I have no clue what to write. That isn't to say that writing the other two weren't easy, but these are extra hard. You want to know something...you really are a bossy know it all. You are always butting in and you always complain that we get you into trouble, but you always help us out. But I love you anyways._

_Best friends forever is what we started saying this year. We would get up early, well early for Ron, and before he even woke up we would spend an hour talking. You said this was time for relaxing and it was. You have always been the easiest person I've known to talk to. You listen to everything I say even if you don't agree. During these talks we discussed everything from favorite colors, mine is deep blue and yours is purple, to our favorite foods, mine is your chicken noodle soup and yours is pumpkin pie. I loved those mornings that we spent talking, but lately they have become more like mere minutes because we are so absorbed in our own thoughts. I just thank the heavens above to know that even if I have nothing to say you still sit with me during that first hour of the morning._

_Lately we have been spending more nights in the kitchen, Ron, you, and me. Each cradling a cup of tea or something a tad bit stronger. Each lost in our thoughts. Who will live, who will die, but eventually we all turn to those times when this war was not everything we thought about. We start talking about school and teachers and classes and friends. I decided sometime one of those nights that if I survive I'm going to go back and finish my education. After all you will be going back too._

_There is so much I wish to tell you. So much has happened. I keep thinking about our last mission and how it was so stupid of me to use you as bait. You should have said something, Hermione. One word of protest out of you and we would have done it another way, but you didn't and so we went through with it. We apparated to that graveyard and there you stood as Nagini came forward. You didn't let us come near until you were certain she couldn't make a quick escape. You were so close to being bit when you finally gave the signal. It was Ron who actually destroyed Nagini and I was the one who caught you as you fainted. Getting you back to the house was no problem, but Ron and I were surprised when you went for the firewhiskey._

_We leave tomorrow morning. I want to give you one last chance to stay. I never wanted you involved in this war, but I knew there was no stopping you or I should have know since the first time you tried to stop me. Remember that stupid duel in first year. It was the first time Malfoy set us all up and of course he didn't get away with it. You tried to stop us but you couldn't and I knew that there was no stopping you. So you came with us and you got us out of trouble but you also helped us to discover Fluffy._

_Night has fallen pretty quickly and I know that we will be heading off to our separate rooms tonight. But I know that somehow during the night I will wake and go to the kitchen and there I will sit until Ron and you join me. We will sit there and wait for the dawn; our last dawn before we head to the school._

_I promise that I will try to come back, Hermione. I'll come back for you and Ron. I want you to be laughing and smiling and I want all of our tears to stop. I just want to live after all of this. But if I don't survive you have to promise me you will move on._

_And that is saying that yes you can cry, I'll be very hurt if you don't, and yes you can grieve, but don't let it consume you. If anything I want you to smile and laugh for me. I want you to go to France and Italy and all those places you've dreamed of going to and I want you to take me with you...even if I'm only in your heart._

_Along with going all these places and doing all those amazing things I know you are going to do I want you to stay grounded. Remember your roots, and remember what we fought for._

_I sit here at the kitchen table taking it all in. This year has been hard as hell on us. All three of us have found each other and lost part of ourselves at the same time. You lost the ability to always be right, but you gained something much more important. Hermione, you gained humor. God between Ron and you sometimes I feel like I might have cracked a rib from laughing so hard. I don't want you to ever lose that laughter. Please tell jokes wherever you go. Tell our story in those voices you use. You know what I'm talking about those outrageously high pitched completely out of character voices. I especially like the one of Voldemort and how you make him sounds like a four year old girl and how you make his death eaters call him ridiculous names like "the guy who couldn't defeat a baby."_

_Oh wait that might have been my name for him!_

_But seriously Hermione; do everything you've ever wanted to do. Take every chance you get. And don't let anyone tell you that you aren't worth it because I know you are. You are my strength and if anyone ever asks you what makes you special you can tell them that you are Harry Potter's rock and that he thinks that you are the brightest star in the night. I will come back for you._

_Take care, my Hermione. I love you._

_Harry_

Jane Granger let the last piece of parchment fall to the table. Her daughter wasn't really fighting a war, she thought, she was fighting to make sure that Harry survived. That he was happy and always there because Hermione didn't want to know what life was like without him. She thought back to the beginning of all of this and wondered how she never saw it before

A pop was heard outside the Granger's household. No one moved as Tonks made sure that everything was all right. Not only had the young girl taken over being their daughter but she had also taken over for their secretary. Hermione had made it clear that her parents were to survive this war but she also made it clear that they were to have nothing to do with what was going on in the wizarding world. She said it would only put them in much more danger then they already were. They were thankful, though, for the two days a week Tonks was off duty and another member of the order came to hang out with them.

"It's Hermione," Tonks said as she opened the door to hug the real version of her role. The two girls began chatting away about what not as both the Granger's came forward to see their daughter.

"Mum, dad, we need to talk." She didn't embrace her parents instead she wrapped her arms around herself in a tight hug. The talk was more of a one-sided conversation that Hermione seemed to be having with herself, "I just need to tell you guys I won't be going to school this year. I'm not going back. I have things I need to do...important things. When I first went to Hogwarts I thought I would finally know my place in the world. I was a witch and there I could, finally, fit in with others, but it didn't come that easy. I did though, after some time, get friends. Harry and Ron are so important to me…" She went on to explain everything that had happened during her school years. "Mum, dad, he is too important for me to lose."

Jane could tell her daughter had drifted off in thought for a moment. She reached out to hug her, but Hermione pulled away at the sight of her hand. For a moment she felt something beyond hurt it was more like she was losing herself.

"I can't. I know you think it is stupid, giving up my future for a boy, but we are all he's got. I'm not going to take that away from him. I…I should get going. Harry said he had something to take care of before he went to Grimmauld place. I hope to god he didn't go see those relatives of his. Sometimes he is too good for his own good." She once again seemed to be talking to herself and she missed the look that her parents shared.

Jane watched as her daughter took in the living room and from the look on her face she expected to never see it again. She saw her facial expressions change with each picture she took in, and then her eyes finally rested on her. Quickly, Hermione rushed forward she gave her mum a hug and kissed her dad's cheek. "Tonks take care of them." She whispered as she grabbed her bag which suddenly appeared beside her. "I promise you I'll come back."

"How comes it seems everyone is making promises they can't keep?" Tonks said softly as she watched Jane's face. She knew exactly what the mother was thinking. The older woman gave her a small smile as she turned back to the letter. It was amazing how much was in that letter and yet how much was kept out of it. She knew that if her daughter was the one actually reading this and not she there probably would have been more. Silently, she wondered if Harry had charmed the letter to reveal different stuff for each reading.

Arthur cleared his throat and he took the letter that his hand had put before him. It was now or never, he thought as he glanced at the seal and broke its connection to the paper. The clock situated on the wall in the Weasley's living room once more came to life.


	12. Chapter 12

*NOTES* Okay another chapter for you lovely people. You know what this means no more letters. Oh my god! I can't believe they are finally done. Oh the next chapter is going to be so good you. The laughs are amazing. I can't wait until I'm done.

Was it really going to end like this? Arthur wondered as he stared at the sheets of paper that he had in his hands. Casually he looked towards the kitchen door and prayed that his son and his two best friends would walk in. They would be laughing and smiling and everything would be right. Ron would be making a joke about being starving, Hermione would be shaking her head at him, and Harry would stand in the middle of them looking like it was over. He stared at the door for many moments before he realized that the dream wasn't going to come true. They weren't coming back.

Arthur stood up and walked to the door. Without a backward glance he walked outside and apparated out of there. It must have been mere moments before he opened his eyes to find himself outside the Hogwarts gates. The ground came up faster then he anticipated as he sunk to his knees in defeat.

This was where they were suppose to be safest. Here they were suppose to learn and make friends and have good life changing experiences. But Ron only got two thirds of that deal. He made great friends, two great friends, with whom he was doing everything to make sure they survived this war. He learned here too. But when it came down to those good memories; those experiences were few and far in-between the bad ones. Though, he thought, Ron probably thought they were all good memories because they were together.

"Let me in!" He stood up with the resolve to get his son out of the castle. To get them out of harms way, to be the father he should have been. He should have said no instead of agreeing with Ron that going off with Harry and Hermione was for the best.

"I SAID LET ME IN!" he roared at the silent castle as he started shaking the gates. "I HAVE TO HELP THEM! I HAVE TO SAVE HIM!"

Suddenly it wasn't just about him saving them it was about a father saving his son. As Arthur raved at the gloomy castle he heard a beautiful and painful note soaring through the air. The song that was so painfully beautiful came from Fawkes, the phoenix, Arthur noted as Fawkes flew down to land on the top of the gate.

"I just want to make sure he is okay, Fawkes," Arthur spoke to the phoenix. Fawkes let out a shrill note and his heart soared into his throat. But for the first time in days it wasn't out of fear it was because he had hope. Silently the phoenix landed on his shoulder and in a blaze he found himself back in his backyard.

"This must be your non-subtle way of telling me to butt out."

He turned to his house and gazed up at the attic. Ron, when he was little, had spent many afternoons waiting for his dad to return from work and during those lazy afternoons he would watch for his father from his window. Once Ron got sight of him he would come bounding down the stairs and would run to meet him. If only things could be that simple again.

He remembered, as he gazed fondly at his house, pick up games of Quidditch or even the occasional nightmare Ron would have. This Christmas everything had changed though. For the whole time Ron was with them he barely slept. Arthur would wake in the night and hear something. He would come to find that Ron would be sitting in the kitchen just staring out the window.

"Ron what are you doing up?"

It was two days after Christmas, and Arthur knew his son would be leaving them soon. He would be going back to join the fight against Voldemort. The thought made the marrow in his bones turn to ice.

"Sorry dad, I didn't mean to wake you. I'm just waiting for the dawn to come."

Arthur sat down next to his son and looked at him. He noticed for the first time that Ron looked older, tired, and sad. It was then he knew that all of his jokes, all of his laughter, had been a front bravely put up by a man who didn't want his family to worry.

"I'll wait with you then."

"I wish it was that easy, but dad, you have no clue what the night holds for us. And that does not mean you haven't seen your fair share of this war...but you haven't seen what I've seen."

"What have you seen?"

It was the first time Ron met his eyes since he'd been home. The light that usually shone from them was completely out, but he knew it would come back it was just the night. Ron was scared of the night.

"Do you remember meeting the dementors and seeing how de-voided they were of everything. " Arthur felt a chill go up his spine, and he suddenly didn't like where this conversation was going. "I saw that in a person, I saw it in myself." Ron took a sip from a cup Arthur didn't notice was there until then. Vaguely he wondered what was in it. "Occasionally I see it in myself when the night takes over. I've had many nights like these…you shouldn't worry about me…I'll be alright."

He didn't know how long he sat there with his son but as soon as the first light of day crept into the house Arthur noticed Ron's eyes change. They seemed to become lighter. "Well off to bed I suppose. Harry and Hermione wouldn't want me to come back all knackered. But I suppose they were up to. The night just has a way of invading and twisting everything around." Ron stood up and put his cup in the sink. "Good night, dad." With a final look around he left the kitchen.

It wasn't until Molly came down that Arthur stirred from his seat at the table. He was worried about what was going on with his son. Every night until Ron left, Arthur decided, he was going to be there and fight back the night for him. Molly smiled as she entered the room.

"I know," she sighed as she picked up the cup Ron had left behind. "The night is scaring him Arthur. He just isn't my little boy anymore." Arthur scooped her up into his arms and did the only thing he could think of he told her every thing was going to be all right.

Arthur looked away from the spot where so many months ago he comforted his wife and back to the table. Instead of it being devoid it was full of scattered letters from Ron and his two best friends.

"I'm sorry for my departure," he picked up the papers he dropped and unfolded them. "I think it is finally time to read the last letter."

_Ron,_

_I know you probably aren't reading this. I know you are probably trying to get Hermione to come out of whatever room she has holed herself up in. So in the case that you are reading this and Hermione is there and I am alive call me a stupid prat and tell me to get over the melodramatic stage of my life._

_The wedding was amazing. I've never seen a wedding before and it just made me think what life might be like if all of us survive this war. I want to be there to see it all. Ugh, now I sound like Hermione. We really have been spending too much time with that girl, I swear some of her habits have rubbed off on you._

_And I also swear that you have become a minor seer. That night before we went to find Hufflepuff's goblet you spent it in the kitchen staring out the window. You kept saying something was going to happen. And you were right, but Hermione and I just chalked it up to paranoia._

_We said after that night we would never revisit what had happened and yet it hung over us. We couldn't forget but we couldn't talk about it either. I know that you still have dreams about it, as do Hermione and I. Once I dreamed you couldn't save her. We just stood there and watched her die. So, Ron I know I've said it many times but thanks._

_And that isn't for just saving her. Thanks for saving me too. You saved me from thinking that all families treat everyone badly. You truly are my brother and we are bonded by something other than blood. We are bonded by our experiences. Ever since our first train ride we have been there to share each other's woes and to be jealous of each other. In a way I think our jealousies have strengthened our bond._

_Our first crazy experience being when we first met Fluffy, the huge three-headed dog. Remember that? Still I can't seem to remember why we even thought it was there to do anything but guard something important. But anyway, that was probably our best midnight stroll Hermione, you, and I had because during most of the rest we got caught. Hey but life is about breaking the rules, and we probably would have gotten really good at polishing the trophy case if we had stayed in school this year._

_Experiences came and went, like the many lessons we had, and then came third year. It seems that this is when it started. For me, anyway, this is when the war started, when we let Pettigrew get away. Not that we had much say in it. You had a broken leg and Hermione and I were trying to not get killed. Funny isn't it? How it always seems to be Hermione and me trying not to get killed. Just joking, Ron. We have all had our fair share of near misses._

_So, Won Won, we left for Grimmauld place in the middle of August. I was desperately hoping that Hermione and you would change your minds but I knew it was useless. We visited Godrics Hollow shortly after we moved in._

_It was a nice quiet little muggle village. The houses were spread apart and the people friendly. I can see why my mum and dad chose it as the village to escape to. Everyone was nice, but not overtly interested in their neighbor's lives. The town was so different from the neighborhood where I grew up and I fell in love with it when I first set sight of it._

_It was nice to get away for a little bit, to see that part of my life, but then we came back. Hermione set us to cleaning, she reminded me so much of your mum it wasn't funny, and instead of the so very unhelpful Kreacher we enlisted the help of a couple of Hogwarts elves. I know we were all grateful when Dobby decided to stay and make sure we were okay, even though we knew he was probably giving Minerva weekly updates on us and how things were going. Still he does make a good kidney and steak pie._

_Okay so back to the cleaning, it went on for years and years, well actually only a couple weeks and then we got down to business. We flooed Tonks and Remus and enlisted their help. I don't think we could have picked a better person to train us then her. She knew when enough was enough and how to push our every button so we would go even farther then before. I don't think I'll ever forget the time when you finally mastered how to block the Impervious Curse. Nor will I forget the time she made Hermione fly a broom._

_Amazing how much we can learn when we actually want to. Hermione learned how to play Quidditch this year instead of just watching it. I've learned the masterful art of transfiguration, and I'm pretty sure I could give Flitwick a run for his money in charms. And you have learned, Ron, the noble and most ancient art of Divination and also you have improved in all the basic areas._

_So where do I go now? What can I talk about now that the time has finally come when we might not actually be here? Take care of her, Ron. I know Hermione is strong, but she won't be dealing with my death well at all. Make sure she eats and sleeps, and cries. It's not healthy to bottle those emotions up inside. Just watch over her for me, Ron._

_And as for you…I want you to keep being you. Make those jokes you always do, and keep asking those questions about muggle appliances. Play Quidditch one day until you feel like you can't fly anymore and lay under the stars at night cause I'll be up there watching over both of you. Just like the two of you have always been watching over me._

_Harry_

Arthur put the letter down and looked towards the door again. Now, he thought, would be the perfect time for them to walk in the door. But they didn't. He knew that they wouldn't be coming home, at least not today. He knew that if they were alive they would need some time before they came back. Sighing he met Remus's eyes and he realized that the werewolf was thinking the exact same thing as he was. Tonight was going to be tough but tomorrow was going to be worse. Who knew what kind of things they would find in Grimmauld place and with that he got up and fixed himself a large glass of firewhiskey.

"To our heroes."


	13. Chapter 13

Author Note: For those of you who might have seen this on Portkey I've changed the order of the last few chapters. I think it flows better.

Headmistress McGonagall had just informed the school that morning that it would be closed for Easter break. That meant even the staff, including the medical wing, had to leave. Right now, she was checking her storage cabinet to make sure she had enough potions to get through the next Quidditch match. Sighing, she checked her watch and found it was way past late. She was getting too old for this, she decided, as she stood up and glanced at the doors. One of them stood ajar and she was pretty sure it had been closed moments before.

As she moved to go towards the open door a shadow swept past the entrance way. She pulled out her wand, but before she could even think about muttering any defensive spells she knew three figures appeared out of thin air. They were obviously in an intense discussion about something important, and didn't seem to care that they had an active audience.

"She hates me…Always says I can't stay out of dangerous situations. I think you should be the one to tell her. I mean you barely spent anytime in here for reasons like we have. Plus, you're a girl. You guys have the secret code we never can seem to get." Pooppy Pomfrey knew that voice at once for it belonged to one of her most active patients. She could hardly go a term without seeing Harry James Potter for some sort of crazy injury the boy had gotten himself into.

"She does not hate you, Harry," a slightly exasperated voice spoke up.

Harry, it seemed, had been accompanied by Ms. Granger. She barely ever saw Harry in the hospital wing without a bunch of visits from that girl as she pestered Poppy about his health. So that meant that the third person in the huddle had to be Ron Weasley.

"I don't know why you keep saying that…Oh dear lord." It seemed that Hermione had finally noticed that they had been noticed. "One minute," She pointed to Madam Pomfrey and pulled the two boys outside the door.

Poppy didn't know what to do. She thought about sending a patronus to the Headmistress, but then she didn't know if they would flee from the castle. But what she did know was that for the first time this year she felt safe. For now she knew that the three of them were alive and well; if not only a tad bit more secretive then normal.

"Okay we are ready for you," Ron's voice came floating over to her and she sighed realizing that this was going to be a later than normal night. "But we can't talk here. The walls have ears and eyes. We are going to go some place safe. Please follow."

Poppy found herself reluctantly following the three teenagers out of the hospital wing and all the way to the portrait that concealed the kitchens. She watched as Ron reached up to tickle the pear and then open the door. She watched as they conversed with the house elves and how they listened to their every word. And she watched as they looked expectantly at her as if they felt she should start this conversation. After a moment of tense silence the two boys looked to Hermione.

"In two weeks Easter vacation will descend upon the school and everyone will be forced to evacuate. During this time Harry, Ron, and I will come here and we will fight the dark lord, Voldemort." Hermione spoke as she lifted a steaming cup of hot coca to her mouth. "We need your help."

All three teenagers shared a looked before they all took drinks from their cups. They seemed to be giving her time to processes it all, and she nodded that she was game for whatever they needed.

"Good," Ron set down his cup and pulled out three wax seals from his inner cloak pocket. It was then that she noticed he was the only one wearing a cloak; the other two were dressed in muggle clothing. "Here is how the game plan should work out. We will fight Voldemort while the school is completely empty except for two house elves that will leave once the first spell from Voldemort's wand is fired. They will instantly appear in your house or wherever you will be. They shall inform you the battle has started. Now, these three seals will be put on something that will inadvertently be broken by someone unknowingly. We haven't quite worked out the kinks to that yet but I assume it will be done by letters to our loved ones."

She snuck a glance at Harry and Hermione and saw that they weren't listening to a word Ron was saying. Instead they were talking to two of Hogwarts oldest and most trusted house elves. Hermione was mentioning about some sort of payment, but the elves seemed to be shaking their heads and she let out a sigh as the girl didn't seem want to give up on giving them their rights. Not that it was a valid idea it was just difficult.

Turning her attention back to Ron she noticed that he had stopped to take in his two best friends too, but he seem a little pained by something. "Anyway," he said with a shake of his head. "Once each of these seals has been broken it will trigger a portkey. That portkey will be placed on us by the said house elves with their powerful magic once they know your location. We are asking you to mend us after the battle. In other words to make sure that we get some rest."

"Why me?" She knew of several qualified medi-witches that would certainly help out these three.

Harry was the one who spoke up this time, "Because we trust you. We know you won't give us away to the press or even to our loved ones. We know that you'll take care of us. But Madam Pomfrey there are terms to this agreement." He waited for her to nod at this statement. "Once we have decided that we are well enough to leave we will be leaving, no buts from you. I have something I need to do after the battle."

"You can find us at the Burrow two hours after we have left your care, and then we will consent to any treatment you want to force on us." Hermione added to Harry's last statement with a grin. She knew the matronly witch was going to have trouble with the terms given, but they all knew that she would accept because she would have no other looking after her kids.

Easter break came and with it the constant fear of what was going to happen. She packed up half of her healer supplies, hoping that would be enough, and then left to go to a safe location. Her week started out slow unpacking her healer supplies, making sure her house was clean and welcoming, and spending some time with her books.

Thursday, of that week, came and around mid afternoon she was pushed out of her book by finding two house elves standing in her kitchen. With a sigh she knew this could only mean one thing: the battle had begun. As she walked back to her living room she vaguely wondered if she should tell someone. She should alert the Order, she thought, but then she remembered that the Order had become scattered since Dumbledore's death. They were lost without a leader and even though some still remained loyal most had given into despair.

Two days passed and Poppy found herself getting to know the house elves very well. Their names, they told her, were Nicky and Cammy. They told her that they had been instructed to help her out in anyway possible. It was decided that when the trio did finally come popping into the house that the living room would serve as the hospital area. Three beds were quickly placed in it upon that decision. On Friday night she was overcome with complete exhaustion and went to bed early knowing that tomorrow was going to be the day it all came tumbling down.

9am Saturday

The dishes in the sink were washing themselves when she heard a pop from the living room. A crash was followed by the pop and Poppy went running into the living room.

"Oh dear Merlin," she exclaimed when she saw Ron Weasley lying on the first bed. "MR. WEASLEY!"

She shouted to see if he was awake and able to talk. Her wand came to her hand as soon as she didn't hear his answer and she began saying all the diagnostic spells she knew. First thing she checked was his heart and found it was still, faintly, beating and then she checked his head to make sure there were no major concussions. Poppy almost felt ill as she noticed the white sheets had already been soaked through in blood. She quickly poured a blood replenishing potion down his throat, and that is when she noticed his left leg had almost come clean off.

To be able to save the leg would require a lot of magical healing and that would mean that she wouldn't be able to heal the other major injury of a shattered wrist and several minor injuries. She didn't give it a second thought for another second then went to work on repairing the leg. Everything else could wait, she decided.

10am Saturday

She watched patiently over Ron waiting for some sign that he was okay. His pulse was still dangerously low, as it had been when he arrived, but at least his cheeks had some color back in them. Just as she was finishing bandaging his wrist and getting ready to bandage his ribs she heard him moan. A moan was such a good thing she thought about bursting out with laughter.

But then she thought about it for a second longer. What would the next two be like and why hadn't they come yet? If Ron was this bad then that could only mean it was going to get worse. Quickly, she went to check her supplies of blood replenishing potions and saw she only had a minimal amount left. Damn it, she thought, I should have brought more.

Bringing out her muggle medical supplies she finished bandaging Ron's ribs. He had three that had been bruised pretty badly. If his pulse stayed this weak then she knew that he had a fifty-fifty chance of brain damage. But for right now she had to stay and monitor his wellness with little usage of magic. Too much magic and his body could go into cardiac arrest. And she didn't have the supplies that St. Mungos had. Why, she thought, did they choose her?

10:30am Saturday

Up, down, up, down, up, down. She figured she was going to wear a hole in her carpet if she kept up her pacing but it was the only thing that seemed to calm her nerves. The house elves had set up in the kitchen and kept bringing her strong tea. She had her suspicions that it was laced with a calming drought, but she drank it anyway. Frantically, she wondered what was going to happen next. What would she tell the others if one of them died? But most importantly could the other two live without one of them?

11:30am Saturday

For the fourth time this hour she was checking Ron's vital signs. His pulse, over the past hour, had gotten stronger. Occasionally he moaned, but most of the time he just laid on the bed sleeping soundly. Poppy knew that mostly it was out of pure exhaustion that he slept so long. After all he had just been through a battle, and lost a lot of blood, in which she could only imagine how difficult it had been.

A moan escaped from him when she was checking his ribs and because she had gotten so use to them she barely looked up. "Harry," she heard him whisper and she gently smoothed back his hair.

"They aren't here yet, Ron. But they are coming, don't you worry. Rest and get well because you'll need your strength to face your mum once this is all over."

1:30pm Saturday

Poppy was just about ready to send one of the house elves to the Burrow and the other to Remus's place to find the stupid seals and break them. She was worried and it was getting late. Thankfully, Ron looked like he was going to make it through all of this. He would probably have a permanent limp when he walked, but that was about it. Time slowly ticked by as she watched the second turn into minutes. What was taking them so long? She decided to give them until two, but if no one popped into the living room by then; then she was going to go insane.

1:55pm Saturday

"Umph," was the noise she heard coming from the living room. Poppy rushed into the room and saw Hermione lying on the cot next to Ron. Unconsciously the breath that she was holding came out as she approached the unconscious girl. The pillow under Hermione's head was becoming a lovely shade of red.

Poppy frowned as she repaired the huge gash in the young girl's head. She went on to fix a fractured knee and some internal bleeding. The girl's pulse was normal she checked as she set up an IV to fight off any infections she might have gotten from the head wound. Ron had a similar one dripping into his forearm.

Taking out her muggle medical supplies she bandaged up the girls right arm in a sling as her shoulder had been out of socket and she put it back in. Hermione didn't make a sound during any of this. Poppy hoped she was sleeping and not in a coma. Only time would tell.

2:30pm Saturday

Hermione had not stirred at all since she arrived. In fact she highly doubted either of her two patients would awake until the third got here. For now she kept a close eye on both of them. She sat between their beds and told them stories.

"Once there was a baby boy. He was born to two of the most deserving people in the world, Lily and James Potter. Now, Lily and James, many people think that they didn't get their happy ending but they did. They got that ending when their precious baby boy was born. And what little time they got with him they took it all and lived it so well. Their little boy was truly loved. So loved was that little boy that not even the darkest wizard could touch him."

She got up and went to the mantel piece where there on the wall sat a picture that she cherished beyond belief. Remus Lupin gave her that picture when he graduated from Hogwarts. In it was Lily, James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter, and they were all holding up a sign that read "for a little furry problem." She knew all to well that all five of them were thanking her for taking care of Remus each night after the full moon. So much had changed since then, she thought, as she glanced at the empty bed waiting to be filled by the son of Lily and James Potter.

"Yes, so much has changed and yet nothing has changed."

3pm Saturday

Poppy stepped into the kitchen for just a minute and when she came back into the living room she found everything completely different. "What did you do?" She questioned the house elves.

"We are sorry, miss. But miss over there told us that the beds had to set up like this."

"Did she speak?" When they didn't answer she took that as a no. The beds of Ron and Hermione were now on either ends of the room with Harry's vacant bed in the middle and the beds were each pushed really close together.

3:30pm Saturday

She was pretty sure time was playing tricks on her. It was purposely being slow just to send her into a furry. What if they broke the seal before Harry had the chance to kill Voldemort? What if he was dead and Voldemort had survived? What if he was dead and so was Voldemort? All the what ifs were weighing down on her as she glanced at the clock on the wall. Time was working against her and she was sure it was smiling the whole time.

Checking Hermione vitals she noticed the girl's necklace. It was a silver chain with a pearl drop pendant hanging from the chain. She gently touched it and the girl gasped in response. "Harry," she heard her whisper and it looked as if the girl was fighting some inner battle. What was going on?

4pm Saturday

She had just finished changing the bandages on Ron's minor cuts when a thumped can from the bed in the middle. Harry had arrived.

4:01pm Saturday

It took a minute for her body to actually obey her command to move, but when she did she found herself tripping over everything. Finally, after taking several deep breaths, she went and preformed the diagnostic spell over him.

Three broken ribs

Two shattered bones (in his right arm)

One minor concussion

Major fatigue.

The spell read out as she looked down at his sleeping form. He like the other two had a concussion, but it would have to wait as she went to work on fixing the shattered bones.

4:45pm Saturday

They were all resting peacefully as she sat down in her chair for a break. Three patients in one day each with their own magical injuries, and each at different times was enough to exhaust her. Right now Poppy just wanted to sleep, but she knew she had to keep any eye on her three kids. She was fairly certain they would all pull through, but still she worried. Glancing at each of them she took in the IVs and the bandages and their sleeping forms. This, she thought, was what brought down the evilest wizard of this age. This was hope.


	14. Chapter 14

It was early Sunday night when Poppy Pomfrey disapperated from her small cottage and into the Weasley's backyard. She walked into the kitchen startling everyone who was there and threw her bag down on one of the vacant stools. As part of their agreement she wasn't allowed to mention that she had healed Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She just heaved a big sigh and then went into the living room. As she entered she heard a couple of pops sound as the Weasley living room was made into a make shift hospital. Nodding her approval she started to unpack her supplies.

It was as she was putting some dreamless sleep potion on each bedside table that she heard a voice speak, "what is going on?" Poppy turned to see Molly Weasley standing in the door. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

Carefully, she picked her words and then tried spoke again, "they sent me."

As soon as she said this a trill of music was heard from the phoenix that was resting on the back of Minerva's chair.

Remus stood up and faced Poppy, "are they safe?"

Poppy thought about this for a moment and felt her tongue begin to curl up as she tried to speak. She made a mental note to knock them all out for a good long while as retribution and then said, "I can't tell you anymore than I already did." At this Molly gave a growl. "I'm sorry but I swore and oath to them I wouldn't."

It was then that she took in the people before her. She saw he coworkers Minerva and Hagrid, she saw Remus and Tonks, Bill, Arthur, Fleur, Ginny, Fred, George, Charlie, and her eyes finally rested on two people she could only assume were Hermione's parents.

"It is nice to meet you. Pardon my rudeness for forgetting to introduce myself I am Madame Poppy Pomfrey, school nurse at Hogwarts." She went over to them and they stated their names. "It is a pleasure, but I now have to go back to sorting some stuff out." Casually she walked outside. After a moment she heard chairs being pushed back on the wooden floors and people scrambled out the back door.

All the Weasley's, Tonks, Remus, the Grangers, Minerva, and Hagrid came to halt not ten feet out the door. Poppy sat down in one of the outdoor rocking chairs and she set her gaze upon the stars.

The moment she sat down she had begun glancing at her watch every thirty seconds for the last ten minutes, and she gave a growl of annoyance. Leave it to them to be late. Oh, we will only be gone for two hours and then you can find us at the Burrow, isn't that what they said? Well, they were ten minutes past their two hours. She should have sent one of the house elves to keep an eye on them. After all none of them was on their way to being well.

Once Harry finally arrived it took precious moments to get him stable, and she breathed a great sigh of relief when he finally was. After she bandaged him up she went back to checking on Ron and Hermione. Neither of them had moved and they were both breathing peacefully. She would have to wait and see for time to tell if they were truly doing alright.

Gradually through the night she noticed signs of them beginning to stir, but none of them fully awakened. It was after she had a spot of breakfast, strong tea and toast, that Ron slowly opened his eyes.

"Mr. Weasley," her voice was sharp and cutting and Ron winced at the sound of it.

"Ugh! Not so loud," His voice was raw and his eyes bloodshot. Poppy went about asking him a series of questions as to his health.

"What day is it?"

"Who is the Minister of Magic?"

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Ron answered all but the day question correctly. He guessed it was Friday. It was as he was trying to sit up that he noticed his wrist was still in a lot of pain. "Ugh how am I going to eat with my hand not working?"

"You, Mr. Weasley, aren't going to be eating for a while." She saw his face pale at the thought of that, "You can however have all the liquids you want as long as it is in the form of ice chips."

Ron let out a groan at this, "Oh would you please shut up!"

Apparently, Harry had decided to wake up. His voice was only slightly above a whisper, but they could tell he was trying to emphasize loudness. "Some people are trying to rest," Poppy bustled over to his bed to inspect his sense of sense.

"Mr. Potter you have to take shallow breaths the potion that is healing your ribs is going to take a while and until it is done I don't want you moving about." She said as she checked his pulse.

"How is everyone else?" Harry asked as he looked over at Hermione's sleeping form.

"Ron is up, as you can hear, but Ms. Granger hasn't awoken yet. She had a pretty nasty gash on her head and I'm waiting to see…"

"To see what?" Harry asked as she trailed off.

"What I was going to say, Mr. Potter, is that I'm waiting to see if she will by her own." Harry gave her a quizzical look. "If she doesn't then I will use magic, but I'm going to give her another couple of hours. Everyone heals at different times."

"And what if she doesn't wake up?"

Ron took in the look Harry had on his face when he asked this question. There was no doubt that losing Hermione would kill him. She was the reason he got through this messed up war. She was the reason for everything and Ron knew just how much she meant to Harry and how much she meant to him.

After all it was never suppose to be her that got hurt. But she just had to jump in front of that curse and it sent her flying backward. Ron could see her face, so clearly in his mind, when she hit the wall. It was a look of shocking surprise. Hermione didn't deserve to die. But now she was sleeping peacefully.

"Well, enough of this excitement. I want you both to take these potions and then you are to rest. I will wake you the moment she wakes up." She handed the two boys each a cup full of a strengthening potion and then went back to her rocking chair.

"Poppy, what can you tell us?" Minerva's voice broke through her thoughts. She took in the sight of her good friend and felt her strength weakening, but unfortunately the oath she took didn't.

Minerva, she noted, looked frazzled. Like she had the night that Dumbledore had died. Her hair was up in its normal bun but some hairs were escaping and she didn't have on her normal hat either. In fact if it wasn't for the cloak she would have fit in quite well in muggle society.

"Do you remember the day you took the office?" She questioned her, "Remember how scared you felt and how alone you thought you were." Minerva nodded at this. The day she became Headmistress of Hogwarts was one she would love to forget. "Well, I got a visit a couple weeks back from them and they told me their plan and I was sworn to secrecy. Until they arrive I'm not aloud to say anything else."

"But they are coming right?" Minerva asked Poppy whom just shrugged her shoulders.

"They had one last stop to make, or so they said.

"It has been two hours and she hasn't opened her eyes," Ron whispered to Harry as they stared at their best friend. "And I've been sucking on sodding ice chips for two hours. When is she going to realize that I can eat solid food?"

Harry let out a pained laugh at this. It seemed his ribs were still healing. He carefully reached out a hand and grabbed Hermione's and brought it to him. This was all his fault, he thought, she took the curse that was meant for him.

"I think it is safe to say we can ennervate her. Though I'm not positive it will work because you can't tell me what spell she was hit with. I'm going to use it once wait five minutes and try again. I don't want to overload her with too much magic." As Poppy said all this she glared at Harry and Ron as if it was their fault Ms. Granger wasn't awake yet, and she was probably right.

"Enervate," she cast her wand over Hermione and then checked the girl's vitals. Everything seemed to be just as before. She made her way to her rocking chair and sat down noting that the two boys didn't even give her a second thought after she cast the spell.

"Well, as you can see I clearly didn't kill the bastard." Remus's voice float through her mind and she turned to glare at him. "Sorry Poppy,' he whispered as he caught her glaring.

Poppy didn't approve of people killing others. It could be the healer in her but sometimes she hated the sight of blood. She remembered the first time Harry had actually visited the hospital wing, and ironically it wasn't him who was sick it was Ron. A nasty bite, which he said came from a dog, but Poppy knew better.

"It came from Norbert," Hagrid said and it was only then that Poppy knew she had spoken out loud.

"You mean from that dragon you tried to raise a couple of years back?" She asked with an exasperated tone. "Hagrid, how could you let children near such an untrained thing?"

"Well, you know those three. Always getting into others business." Hagrid let out a chuckle at this, "I remember the time they told me about Fluffy. Boy was I wrong when saying no one would find out about him living in the castle. Those three could always find something wrong with the world, or rather the world would always give them something to find wrong with it."

"Yes," Minerva chimed in. "I will always remember the time that Harry and Hermione led Umbridge into the forest and let her get trampled by a herd of centaurs. I thought she got what she deserved." Everyone had to smile at this and Poppy faded back into her thoughts.

"She isn't waking," Ron stated the obvious causing Poppy to smirk.

"Oh would you hush, Mr. Weasley, it has only been thirty seconds." She got up just as Harry lifted himself into a sitting position. "And what do you think you are doing? Lay back down." Harry wasn't listening as he threw his legs off the bed and slipped as his feet met the wood floor. She ran to prevent him from falling, but she needn't have because he steadied himself and fell upon Hermione's bed. He crawled on to the tiny space that was open.

It was as Poppy was trying to figure out the best way to get Harry back on his own bed that Ron started moving. He first pushed Harry's bed right up against Hermione's and waited for Harry to roll Hermione over. He then climbed on Harry's bed to lie next to Hermione.

"Hey, Professor, you have to wake up. We have plans to finish, remember?" Harry spoke softly into her ear as Ron held her hand. "You wanted to go back to school, finish it up you said, and I was going to go with you."

"We both are," Ron's voice was tight as he held back tears. Softly he kissed Hermione's forehead and then waited for Harry to continue.

"So you see you can't leave us. We would get lost just trying to find the right book in the library, and I swear you have a map made of that place. We are lost without you."

The whole room was silent after Harry finished. Poppy just took in the sight before her. Here were three of the greatest friends in the world and now they might be dwindling down to two, and neither had any clue what to do.

"Did you really think I was going to leave you two alone in any library?"

Ginny curled up in the chair opposite of Madame Pomfrey and watch the older lady. She could tell that there was something going on in her mind as Madame Pomfrey's facial expressions changed.

"You should give up," Ron's voice came to her head and suddenly she found herself no longer staring at Madame Pomfrey's face but at a Christmas tree.

"And what am I to give up on?"

Ron let out a sigh and ran his hand threw his hair. It was a trait he picked up from Harry. One that Ginny use to find endearing, "He isn't going to appear. Ginny, Harry knew that coming back for Christmas was something we all probably shouldn't do but it was something we needed. And he knew that his Christmas needed to be his and not ours."

"But Harry is a part of our family."

"Ginny, I never said Harry wasn't a part of our family. He is a huge part, but…"

"Ron, did he not come back because of me?"

"Ginny!" Ron sighed as he took in her face. It was red and blotchy, and Ron knew she had been crying. "I hate to say this, Ginny, but not everything is about you." And with that he turned and walked away.

Turning and walking away was not something a Gryffindor would normally do, but she realized, as she took in Madame Pomfrey's face, that it takes more courage, sometimes, to just walk away from something or someone then to stay.

She let Harry and Ron stay where they were for a few seconds before she literally pushed them away from the young girl. "Miss. Granger can you hear me?" Hermione seemed to be trying to roll her eyes, but she only made it half way. "I'll take that as a duh." None of them had heard Poppy speak so, well, so teenager-ish.

"Did someone say something about school?" Hermione, her voice was weak, asked as she tried to pull herself up into a sitting position as Poppy tried to hold her down. "Oh would you give it up lady. I'm not going to be taking any stupid potions. All I need, right now, is a hot shower and some clean clothes." Both of the boys grinned at this and rushed to hug her. Or rather Harry reached out as he wasn't able to stand and Ron moved to the other side of them. It became an entanglement of limbs rather quickly as they all held on to each other in that moment.

As part of their agreement Poppy had to let them do what they wanted and she quickly escorted Hermione to the bathroom where she stood guard as the young lady took the longest shower ever. It probably didn't help that her hair had become matted with dried blood.

After the shower was over and they were all back into the living room, resting some more, the two house elves came in. Harry told them to go back to the castle where the other house elves were waiting to start the cleaning and rebuilding of part of the castle. They didn't want anyone to know that a battle had taken place there.

"So I say we leave in a couple of hours. I think we all could take some time to rest while we are here. After all, Hermione keeps telling us that apparating while we are exhausted isn't good for us." Ron spoke up as he sucked on yet another ice chip. Harry looked from Hermione and then back to Ron before nodding.

"Yes, Ron, after all we have one last stop to make," Hermione smirked as she said this and with that they told Poppy that they were to be awoken at six in the evening and then they would be on their way.

It was nearing nine when three pops sounded from the back yard of the Burrow. It seemed that three people had landed just outside the fenced in yard and it also seemed that these three people were having a hard time getting up.

Poppy came rushing forward only to take a few steps backward at the sight that greeted her eyes. It appeared that the three people didn't know they had been spotted ye,t and she would let them think that for the time being. Silently, she glared at everyone who also came rushing forward and it was clear what she was saying: give them a few moments.

There sitting on the ground right outside the fence was Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

"Did you know…"Hermione slurred as she took a gulp from a bottle. "That firewhiskey is completely disgusting." And with one more swig she handed the bottle on to Ron.

"Hermione I think you are drunk," Harry said and with this Ron and Harry shared a grin before they both kissed her on her cheeks. She let a laugh and shook her head.

"If I'm drunk then Ron is way past drunk because he has a whole bottle."

"Hey, does this ground look familiar?" Ron asked as he threw the bottle at Harry who caught it and successfully sloshed most of it on his tattered shirt. At Ron's comment Harry looked up at the gate and he smiled before yelling, "POPPYSEED!"

At this Poppy came bustling through the gate and she knew she didn't look too pleased with them. All three of them noticed this and it was Hermione that spoke, "Shush," She turned to Harry and grabbed the bottle. "She is going to be right pissed when she learns we are drunk…So don't not tell her nothing." Hermione thought about that sentence for a minute before nodding her head.

"Oh you three," Poppy said as she snatched the bottle out of Hermione's hands, The girl did little to protest as she started to giggle and landed on top of Harry's lap. She took a swig from the bottle and then banished the thing into thin air.

"Harry, Harry Potter," Hermione sang softly. Harry just looked down at her and grinned.

"Oh get on with it you two. Just kiss already," Ron let out a scream as he fell backwards. It seemed he wasn't a graceful drunk.

Hermione seemed to take Ron's words to heart and kissed Harry lightly on the lips. It was all of this was going on that Poppy first levitated Ron into the Burrow and then levitated Harry while Remus levitated Hermione. Tomorrow was going to be one long day full of questions and answers, but for now the three teenagers had fallen asleep on the ride into the Burrow. Everything else could wait, Poppy decided, as Molly, Jane, Remus, and pulled up chairs beside her to wait the night out. They looked fondly on the three teenagers who had fallen asleep holding on to each other's hands.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: This is it. The final chapter. It is pretty different from the one posted on Portkey. Enjoy.

Harry opened his eyes to find a soft orange glow coming from his right. It was as he started looking around that he realized he was not at Grimmauld place but in fact he was in the Burrow. And he wasn't the only one awake. Grinning he looked towards his best friend and silently untangled himself from his girlfriend's arms. "Can you believe we did it, Ron?" Harry asked and as he did he took in the sight of four sleep forms. It appeared that Remus, Madame Pomfrey, Molly, and Hermione's mum had fallen asleep while watching over them.

"Want to play a game of chess?" Ron asked as he made his way to the kitchen table. Harry grinned and jumped out of bed.

The minute the two left Hermione's side she awoke. "Why is it that we can never sleep through the whole night?" She asked as she joined them at the table and silently summoned her bag to her.

"I say…a good thing we went back and got our bags," Harry said as he pulled out a chessboard from his bag. Ron nodded as he took out two handfuls of chocolate frogs from his bag.

Quietly they sat about the kitchen table each enjoying the others company. "Knight to E5," Ron said and he let out a grin. A whole hour had gone by and they had kept the noise down as not to disturb the others sleeping. But as Ron called out checkmate Harry let out a groan as Hermione giggled at them.

"What are you laughing at?" Harry asked as he threw a wrapper at her and she let out a shriek.

"I don't see why you play you always lose." At this statement Ron started laughing, "oh and like you have ever won a game?" He chided her and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Very childish, Hermione," Harry said and at this Hermione finally set down her book.

All three of them smiled at one another. As one they got up and made their way out of the tiny kitchen and into the night air.

Remus took in the sight of three empty beds as the first light of dawn crept into the Burrow. He gently shook Poppy awake. "They are gone," he whispered not wanting to wake Molly or Jane.

"Those little..." Poppy spoke as she walked outside the Burrow after Remus' words sank in. She paused on the threshold of the door and took in the sight of the three friends playing a game of exploding snap.

"I always said you made an excellent cushion, Ron." Hermione said as she jumped and fell into Ron as the cards let out a painful looking snap.

"Oh get off of me," He said as Harry helped Hermione off of Ron. "Guys I think we are in big trouble." Ron took in the sight of Madame Pomfrey. The other two turned to look at her and then went to hide behind their cards. "Oh thanks leave me the one to deal with the crazy witch."

"You three, I swear, I could almost kill you," Poppy advanced on the three teenagers. She ushered them back into the house, but before they could get far the rest of the household seemed to have awoke and was staring at them.

After a moment everyone rushed forward to embrace the three teenagers. Hermione got pulled away from Harry as her mum and dad hugged her and Harry got a fatherly hug from Lupin. The hugging and crying didn't stop until the sun had fully come up, and only then did Madame Pomfrey get her chance to finally heal their minor injuries.

She led them back into the living room and started the process of evaluating what was left over of their injuries. Ron's leg was healing up nicely. Though she had notice him limping slightly as he walked into the house. She waved her wand and handed him the cane that had appeared by her side.

After a moment of looking over Harry, who still was suffering from exhaustion, she went to check on Hermione. The girl's arm was doing better but she noticed her wince slightly as she checked her breathing. Poppy frowned and pulled up the girl's shirt. She heard a few gasped from behind her as she revealed Hermione's black and blue rib cage.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"It wasn't that bad earlier." Hermione said sheepishly. "Plus, I've dealt with worse."

"Good news is they aren't broken." Hermione let out a sigh of relief at his. "Bad news, I didn't bring the right potion for this so I'll wrap you up."

"Thanks," She told Madame Pomfrey and then looked to Ron. "How is your wrist doing?" Ron just smiled at her antics as she was obscured by a curtain. He knew that she was trying to remain upbeat for Harry's sake.

"You're not going to be able to wear a bra for awhile." Poppy spoke over Hermione.

As the curtain vanished Hermione and Madame Pomfrey came back into view.

"Yeah remember that time she decided to go sun bathing," Harry trailed off and Hermione smacked him upside the head before she whispered in his ear, "I found another one I think you would like."

"How did I put up with you two?" Ron asked as he got up from the cot they were sitting on. "Sometimes you two are enough to make me not want to eat." Harry and Hermione laughed at this, and for that moment it seemed the three friends lived in a different world and the rest of the people didn't exist.

"I just have one question for you three and then you a free to go," Madame Pomfrey said as she rounded on them. "Did you spend three hours getting drunk of your arses last night?"

At this Harry started laughing, "No we went to tell my mum and dad that it was over." At this the three friends turned somber and looked at each other but all the while they were sporting grins. The war was finally over for them. They did their part and now they could rest.

Of course that was when Molly said breakfast was ready. "Oh gracious one," Ron turned to Madame Pomfrey and gave her a little bow, "can I please eat solid food now?" She gave him a glare before nodding her head in consent.

Ron gave a shout of joy and hugged the healer before he spun around and went to grab the nearest plate of food he could get his hands on. Harry and Hermione shared a grin before joining him at the table. "No offense, Harry, but this is to die for." Harry just shrugged at Ron's comment as he too dug into some of Mrs. Weasley's cooking.

"Well, did you leave the school in tack?" Minerva's voice floated over to the three teenagers whom each tensed at the memory of the battle they had just fought.

Remus observed their behavior before he nodded at Minerva to continue, "I need to know if we will be able to reopen in a couple of days?" At this Hermione stood up drained her glass of pumpkin juice and walked out of the house.

"She…well, we…it was rough," Ron said as he put down his fork and looked toward the door longingly. "You should go, mate."

"No," Harry said, his eyes were glued on the door. "She needs this time alone. Give her a second," At this Harry stood up and went to the window. He took in Hermione as she stood looking at the apple orchard. "The school," he said as he turned to Headmistress McGonagall. "Will be as good as new by the time Easter vacation is done."

Hermione knew Harry was watching her from the window and she knew because she felt safe. She always felt safe when he was around, but she also felt someone else watching her. Her mother was sitting in one of the lawn chairs looking at her.

"You know for the last couple of days you have put us through hell?" As she spoke Hermione knew the time for joy was over and her mother was letting out the anger and the fear she felt.

"Yes, well, the last couple of days have been hell." Hermione said softly as she watched one of the gnomes. "If you think this has been hard on yourself then you have no clue what I've been through."

"Hermione, you use to be rational, and now I don't see any of the daughter I knew," Hermione let out a sigh at this and turned from the gnome to look at her mother. She took in the dark circles under her eyes and the flat hair and how she seemed to slump into the chair in which she sat.

"Mum, this past year I've grown up more than I could imagine," she conjured a chair and sat down next to her mother. "But I still feel like I'm your little girl. You know the one that use to be afraid of that monster in her closet?" As Hermione said this she got out of her chair and climbed onto her mother's lap. Softly she murmured, "I wished so many times this year that everything that was happening was a dream." Finally she broke down, "But it wasn't. Mum, it wasn't and I couldn't make it stop. I had to just keep moving forward as everything got worse and worse."

It was as this was happening that Jane noticed the back door to the Burrow swing open and out came Ron and Harry. They looked somber dressed in their jeans and black t-shirts. She noticed them standing at a distance giving Hermione and herself some room but at the same time they were waiting for something. And this is when she noticed that her daughter had stopped crying and started to laugh. Hermione had quickly untangled herself from her limbs and ran into the embracing arms of Ron and Harry. Jane took in that she let lose as the boys' arms encircled her. Quickly and quietly she left them and went back into the Burrow and buried herself in her husband's arms seeking the comfort she could no longer give her daughter.

Ginny took in the sight of Harry, Hermione, and Ron in the backyard. She let out a sigh as she realized they had sunk back into their own world, again. After the house had settled down last night she waited an extra hour and then snuck down stairs to make sure that they were truly there. She had watched them sleep for what felt like an eternity. During that time she saw Harry's arm reach out. It took only a second but in his sleep he found what he was looking for...Hermione's hand.

The image of their hands entangled had invaded her mind for the rest of the night. As she rationalized it Ginny knew that Harry wasn't hers and never really was. He belonged to the world, almost, and when the world owned you it was hard to fall in love. Maybe he wasn't in love with Hermione; she thought over, it could just be a fling. The type of fling that happens when you are together all day and night for weeks on end and fighting terrible battles together, that just had to be it. It would all come crumbling down given time and Ginny would have to wait and see.

"Come on we should go inside," Harry said as Hermione untangled herself from their arms and gave herself a hug. "We have some explaining to do. After all it always made me feel better after I told someone about what had happened."

"Do we have to tell all of them," Ron whispered as he looked towards the door. He was scared and Hermione could see the light in his eyes was completely gone.

"Ron, your family is going to be so proud of you," she said as she snuggled into Harry. "I know because I'm immensely proud of you."

Ron only shook his head at this and made his way to the door. He turned as he put his hand on the handle and looked at his two best friends. There they stood not completely relaxed but still they held a sort of calm about them. It was clear, to him, that they were meant to be, and as he had seen over and over this past year they would take anyone down who tried to destroy their world. "You guys coming," they looked up at him before rushing over to join him. A trio they had always been and a trio they would always be.

"We should start at the beginning," Hermione stated as everyone had gathered around the kitchen table. She took in the people before her, the people she loved, and noticed one of them was missing. "Ginny isn't here." It wasn't a question just a statement. She knew the girl would have been hurt about Harry and her but, she thought, that at least she might want to hear their tail.

"I'm right here, Hermione." Everyone turned to watch Ginny take a seat as far away as possible from the three friends. "Go, tell your story," She seemed to be challenging the older girl and Hermione never backed down from a challenge.

"Should start at the beginning…"

"We started there in the letters," Ron cut in as and Hermione threw him a withering glare.

"Right, well we left for Hogwarts a week ago."

"The town was completely deserted," Harry said.

"We apparated into the shrieking shack," Ron said with a smile.

As the boys cut her off once again Hermione threw up her hands. "This" she said, rounding on them. "Is why I'm not able to finish a thought." She stood up and placed her hands on her hips. At this Harry grabbed her and sat her down on his lap.

"But you love us anyway," Hermione let out a defeated sigh at this and just placed her head on his shoulder. "Harry this was your battle you should tell the story."

"Okay so we apparated in and went straight to the castle. There we expelled Hagrid and then set up waiting in the Great Hall." Ron gave Hagrid a sympathetic look and Hagrid just shrugged him off. "We had the map with us and took turns watching it for any sign of Voldemort. We had leaked to one of his Death Eaters about our plan during the battle with Nagini. Hermione here was brilliant during that battle." Harry gave her a small smile as she took in the faces of everyone around them. Everyone, Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, Bill, Fleur, Tonks, Remus, Charlie, Fred, George, her mother and father, Minerva, Ginny, Hagrid, and Madame Pomfrey, had all gone white hearing this news.

"The first battle spell was fired at 9:30 am Tuesday. It seemed Voldemort had only come with a handful of death eaters. But they were his most dangerous ones. Bella was there, Hermione killed her and Peter was there Ron killed him and I…I…."

Hermione shook him awake at nine on Tuesday morning; it seemed the battle was finally going to take place. She rushed to wake Ron too and the house elves brought them fresh coffee mixed with a pepper-up potion and some strengthen drought. They ate some bread and an apple, each, really quickly before the first spell was fired at the huge doors protecting the Great Hall.

"We need to get out of here there is too much open space," Ron said but he knew it was futile there was no where to go. "You planned this didn't you, Harry?" and at that the doors to the Great Hall swung open and they were faced with ten Death Eaters and one Voldemort. "Well I'm going to say it now…We are doomed." Ron said and Hermione hit him upside the head with her hand before she fired off a shield charm.

"The battle was crazy and we lost track of each other from time to time as we each took on several opponents at once. I took on Peter, Nott, Macnair, and Goyle. Hermione took on the Lestranges, Dolohov, and Mulciber. Harry took on Greyback and Malfoy senior before he faced Voldemort." Ron said as Harry got that far away look in his eyes. He knew that his friend was reliving part of the battle.

"I don't remember much it is all kind of a blur. I mean after a while you just stop thinking and just react. I do remember when Hermione killed Bella though. She did it with a reductor curse straight to chest. Made her fly backwards into one of the pillars that had been previously broken she was impaled by a piece of marble jutting out from it." Hermione twiddled her wand in between her fingers as Ron said this and she stared fixedly at her feet.

There she was fighting with Bellatrix Lestrange. It couldn't have been more funny if it was a movie or more serious. But as Bella shouted out a killing curse, she thought that was the fifth one she heard out of the lady's mouth, Hermione ducked behind a pillar on the opposite wall. She shouted out the reductor curse and it hit its target sending Bella into the broken pillar behind her. Hermione doubted, in that moment, if she could ever forget the women's face as she realized what had happened. It was a mixture of shock and anger and a tiny bit of pity. This, Hermione thought, is what war did to people, it killed.

"Finally, Voldemort shouted out his first spell." Harry said, "I don't know when this actually happened but it was right after I had killed Greyback and I was exhausted, I was pretty sure we had been fighting for days on end by then. We had even moved out of the room of requirement and had somehow found ourselves in the charms corridor."

Harry was then interrupted by Madame Pomfrey, "It was Thursday afternoon that that happened, Harry."

"You had been fighting for two days by then?" Remus asked in astonishment.

"Well, no, we had done some hiding in the room of requirement the second night, I think. We had made it so no one could find the place but we could see what was going on in the corridor." Hermione stated; she had taken a page out of Malfoy's book on that one.

"We are getting a little mixed up," Ron said as Harry gave him a grin. "Well I couldn't move. My leg had been hit sometime during the second day and almost came clean off. Isn't that right, Poppyseed? Hermione stayed with me and Harry left to finish it all off."

"Right I took out Greyback and suddenly it was just me and Voldemort. We fought our way back to the corridor outside the room of requirement. It was then that Hermione decided to come back into the fight."

Hermione gave Ron yet another blood replenishing potion and it was then when she heard the sounds of spells being fired. She looked out to the movie like wall and saw Harry and Voldemort come into view. It was as Harry ducked behind on of the statues that Hermione gave up on waiting and grabbed her wand and went back into battle. She lasted about three hours helping Harry fight Voldemort before she got hit by some ceiling that no longer decided the stay up and she was knocked unconscious. Her last conscious thought was that Ron was still okay and that Harry would make it through this alive.

"She is a tough one," Harry said as Hermione finished reliving one of her parts in the battle. "I even believe she gave Voldemort a black eye when she kicked him in the face. I doubt he thought that someone would resort to not using wands." Harry gave off a laugh as he remembered the look on Voldemort's face as Hermione's foot came out and gave him one hell of a kick.

"I owe that all to you Tonks," Hermione said as she watched the girl blush with the praise.

"So it was just me and him," Harry started to say before Ron cut in. "I've got something for you man. I've wanted to do this all year but we couldn't kill the man until now. But I rigged this for you." Ron pulled out two figurines from his backpack and set them on the table. One was unmistakable Harry and the other was Voldemort. The immediately started doing battle with each other, but unfortunately it wasn't the way it happened.

"Very funny, Ron." Harry said as he pocketed the two characters. Ron just gave him a shrug as Hermione started to laugh. "I'm glad you find this amusing, Hermione." And Harry truly was glad that he had two such friends that were still able to laugh at his expense.

"So what happened?" Arthur asked as he was already on the edge of his seat from the fact that his son had gone through all of this.

"I'm glad someone wants to know?" Harry said as he threw his friends a glare. "Well, we dueled from some time and finally I killed him by running him threw with the sword of Gryffindor. Cliché, I know, but Fawkes brought it to me once again."

"Well that was kind of anticlimactic." Fred said but he could tell by Harry's face it was anything but that. There were just some things you couldn't share because they couldn't be put into words and this was one of those times.

Hermione was down and Harry felt some anger soar through his body as he saw his friend fall. But he had no time to think about helping her as Voldemort fired of the killing curse at him again. Harry conjured up a shield to block it and they started firing curses at each other. All he needed, he thought, was to get Voldemort's wand away from him. As Harry thought this he called Hermione's wand to him and started using both wands. His wand he used to distract Voldemort by fling objects at him and Hermione's wand he used to finally summon Voldemort's wand into his hand.

It had probably taken a good five hours before this had happened, but when it did he felt a great victory and instantly thought of Dumbledore when he was fighting Voldemort during the battle at the Ministry. That is when the tides started to turn. Or at least that is when Fawkes appeared. He dropped the sword at feet of the statue Harry was standing behind and Harry finally realized the importance of the choosing Gryffindor as his house during his sorting ceremony.

Everything seemed to fall into place as he picked up the sword. It only took minutes after the gold touched his skin for Voldemort to fall.

"As Voldemort fell there was a rumble as he died, I think that the castle realized one of the founders was gone, forever. I was hit on the head by some crumbling ceiling and was knocked out until I awoke at Madame Pomfrey's house." Harry gave Poppy Pomfrey a nod as he concluded his story.

"And that is how it ended?"

"Yes, Hagrid, it is finally over. I, we, can live our lives how they were meant to be, now." Hermione said before Harry could respond. "I think we should be heading out," Hermione stood up and helped Harry and Ron up.

"Where are you going?" Molly asked as she stood to block their leaving. She had almost lost them once she wasn't going to let them out of her sight for some time now.

"We are going home," Ron said as he stifled a yawn. "Haven't slept for days; at least slept without being induced by pure exhaustion."

"You are going nowhere," Molly Weasley wasn't alone in her abomination Jane Granger also agreed and Madame Pomfrey wasn't going to let them leave without one final check over. In fact the only person who seemed relived at them leaving was Ginny, but no one seemed to notice.

"Fine," Harry said as he saw no way out of this situation but to give in.

The day had progressed and the three teenagers were curled up on the couch as everyone looked on. Each person in the house was silently questioning another to make the first move. None of the teenagers had moved since Harry giving into them staying. They just sat on the couch and each cradled a cup of tea.

"You should go forward?" Minerva said to Remus who seemed to fiddling with something in his pocket. He gave her a look that clearly said that he didn't want to interrupt them but he knew he must.

Remus took the steps into the living room with a slightly heave heart. These past few days had been hard on him but now that they were back he didn't know what to say. "I think this belongs to you, Harry." Remus cleared his throat as he spoke. In his hand he was holding out Lily Potter's engagement ring.

Harry took the ring and looked at it for a minute, "I never thought I would be able to give this away." He said as his voice constricted. It was then that Hermione looked at him. She had successfully been avoiding his gaze since his hands had taken the ring. "So what do you think?"

"Is this how you're asking me?" Hermione let out a snort.

Ron started to out right laugh at Harry. "Well come on mate," He said seeing the look on his friends face. "You have to admit that it wasn't very romantic. I mean I know you don't have a way with words but you could have done something a tad bit better."

"You didn't answer my question," Harry said as he gazed into Hermione's eyes which brimmed over with tears.

"At least you didn't ask when the world was ending," she said as she closed Harry's hand over the ring. "But now isn't the time. We have to adjust back into this world that we tried so hard to protect. We have to handle the press and our families. This is going to take time. And I'm not saying no. Heck I'm saying yes, but ask me again, when the time is right."

"The time is always right," Harry said as he slid the ring on to her ring finger on her left hand and this time she didn't protest. This time she just kissed his softly on the lips and murmured, "I want to finish school first." Harry let out a deep throated laugh at this and just held her close to him enjoying the feeling of being alive and being with the ones he loved the most.

"Well," Edward said. "I think I have to get to know you better, Harry." And with that Harry seemed to blanch for a moment before Molly called them in for dinner.

Dinner was quiet and it was shortly after that that they heard a pop come from outside the Burrow. Harry instantly grabbed his wand, Hermione shot out of her chair, which was facing the living room, and did a flip before bringing her wand into the dueling stance, and Ron rushed to the window to get a better handle on the situation. All he could make out was a figure who stayed in the shadows. Not wanting to take any chances he gave Harry the signal to begin an attack when ready. But Hermione stopped them as she did a good guy spell. It was something she invented during their time at Grimmauld place and it had saved a couple of lives when they were out on some missions.

"It is the Minister of Magic," Hermione spoke up just as the Minister knocked on the door and entered without waiting for an answer. He was met with quite a sight, Hermione thought, as she only slightly lowered her wand.

"What can we do for you, Minister?" Remus asked as he put himself in front of the three teenagers effectively blocking them from view.

"I saw sitting in my office when I suddenly got a fire call informing me that ten bodies had been found in the Atrium," As he said this Remus started to grin. The Minister was clearly wondering what had happened and he was clearly worried about something.

"I believe what you want is this," Ron said as he held out a broken wand in his right hand.

"We will not be talking to the press," Hermione said as she joined Ron's side as they both stood off to Remus's left.

"The only people who will know the true events of what happened are us and that is the way we are going to keep it." Harry joined his two friends as he took in the broken wand.

"Is that? But it can't be…" The Minister was completely lost for words as he took in the three teenagers and then the broken wand. "Well we will need a statement from you three. Not an interview," he said upon seeing their faces. "But something to assure the community that this is true."

"You will be getting no such thing," Harry said as he crossed his arm over his chest. "I promised Dumbledore I wouldn't tell anyone but these two and after all I'm Dumbledore's man through and through."

The Minister could see any attempt at getting a statement was futile so he just took the wand and went on his way. It was then that Remus turned to face the three teenagers, "What are you going to be doing with your life now?"

The three friends just glanced at one another before they glanced back at Remus and all three shrugged. They could do anything now that they knew they had all the time in the world to live, but first they were going to just enjoy their family.


End file.
